


Starlight, Starbright

by Funtimewriter



Series: Falling Stars [4]
Category: Adam Levine (Musician), Blake Shelton (Musician), Supernatural, The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Supernatural (TV) Fusion, Angel/Human Relationships, Angelic Grace, Angelic Lore, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF Blake Shelton, Bobby Singer Deals With Idjits, Bobby Singer Lives, Canon-Typical Violence, Confused Castiel, Corruption, Dean Winchester in Denial, Don't Have To Know About Supernatural (TV), Enemies to Friends, Established Relationship, Family Drama, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Illustrated, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Keep Your Eyes On The Moon, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Consensual Bondage, Non-Consensual Kissing, Prison, Protective Castiel, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Spoilers, The Author Regrets Nothing, Unrequited Love, Witchcraft, Yeah It's Gonna Hurt, long separation, my world my rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-05-27 16:27:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 128,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15028580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funtimewriter/pseuds/Funtimewriter
Summary: Dean's decision has far-reaching consequences.  The corruption of Adam's soul draws him further from Blake, and draws the attention of a demon.  Ketch puts his plans for Castiel and the others into motion.  And Blake must somehow find a way to protect his friends as their enemies draw ever closer.





	1. Angelic Vessel

**Author's Note:**

> I promise this really is the last part! I'd expected the last one to be because I'd had all the chapters in bits and pieces tucked into various folders. It wasn't until I put it all together that I realized just how long this story really was! So again, apologies, and I hope the story is entertaining enough to keep you going this long!

         “Obviously, you understand my situation,” Castiel began.

         The entire group was gathered in the living area, listening to the angel explain. Sammy, standing with his lawyer counterpart near one wall, couldn’t take his eyes off of his brother’s face.  It was Dean’s face, but at the same time, it was unquestionably Cass’s.  The angel’s calm expression, so out of place on Dean’s typically-animated features, was achingly familiar.  So was the way he’d occasionally cock his head to the side and frown when he was mulling something over.  Even Dean’s voice held a trace of Cass, sounding somewhat gruffer than Dean typically did.  Dean’s bowlegged walk was different too, more like Cass’s smooth stride rather than his brother’s rolling amble.  It was bizarre, this strange, hybrid mixture of the angel and the hunter.  Of course, it was only natural.  Angels always took human vessels, and the angels were always in control.  So of course, he’d be seeing Cass no matter what body he wore.  Regardless of vessel, he was still the same angel!  Still, as he watched the angel interacting with them using his brother’s body, Sammy couldn’t help but think of it as somehow wrong.

         Sam, he knew, felt the same.  Sammy had never considered himself a vain or self-centered man, but he couldn’t deny the incredibly close bond he felt with his counterpart.  Almost from the instant the lawyer had embraced him, Sammy had been eager to draw him in.  To think, Sammy had worried that Sam would take Dean away from him!  Granted, Sam had actually tried to do exactly that. But when Sam had called him and the two of them had finally gotten the chance to talk, really talk?  Well, who understood you better than yourself?  Face to face, it was even better.  Sammy had known exactly what to say to help Sam deal with the shock of learning about his brother’s murder.  And afterwards, the two of them had talked most of the night. He’d found himself telling Sam things he’d never told anyone, things Dean didn’t even know, that he never imagined he’d ever speak aloud.  And Sam had done the same, revealing truths about himself that Sammy hadn’t even dared to consider.  Now they shared everything.  Sammy was wearing Sam’s clothes, Sam had spent hours with Dean, Sammy had talked with Jess on the phone until he’d run out of minutes, and they were already making plans to introduce Sammy to Jess and the kids. 

         Sammy couldn’t wait to meet them.  Speaking to Jess on the phone had been surreal.  Hearing her voice had brought up emotions he’d believed were long buried, reducing him to a shaking, blubbering mess.  He’d tried to speak with the children, but hadn’t been able to manage a single word.  He’d only listened as they’d excitedly told him about their time with Uncle Dean, and would Sammy be their other Daddy and when would they meet him?  Jess and Sam had been forced to cut that conversation short. Sam later told him that, even though Sammy had been smiling and laughing at the excited voices of the children, he’d grown so pale that Sam had feared he’d pass out.  Even when Jess came back on, Sammy hadn’t been able to make himself speak, only listening as she gently spoke to him, telling him their plans to meet during the final minutes on Sammy’s burner phone.  As soon as the conversation ended, he’d run to the bathroom and thrown up.  And Sam had been right there, his hand on Sammy’s back or shoulder, gently talking to him, helping him struggle through his emotions. Their bond was immediate and would be unusual if Sammy hadn’t understood what was behind it.  When the two of them looked at each other, each saw a version of himself he wished he could be.  Sam had the life Sammy had always wanted, and Sam, for reasons Sammy couldn’t talk him out of, looked at Sammy and saw a hero.  It was absurd.  The lawyer was amazing, and so was his wife. Sam had already told Sammy that he’d been completely open and honest with Jess.  She knew all about the relationship that he’d developed with his other self.  Now, it seemed she was anxious to form a relationship with Sammy as well.

         Of course, Maroon 5 was trying to make more of the whole Sam Squared thing than was actually there, mostly thanks to them being just a bit louder than they’d thought that first night.  So they’d experimented a bit.  So what? Sammy had never been interested in other men, and he certainly wasn’t lusting after Sam, but really, who knew you, and knew what you liked, better than yourself?  The two of them had satisfied some curiosity between them, and that was that.  Neither of them had any interest in doing anything more.  Jess knew all about it, and hadn’t batted an eyelash.  However, Jess had indicated that she was open to a bit of experimentation herself.  The three of them had already made plans for their first meeting.  Yes, Sammy thought, meeting the alternate universe counterpart to the one woman he’d never stopped loving was going to be most interesting.

         Now, Sammy was more grateful than ever for Sam’s presence.  The lawyer stayed close to his side as they stood together, intentionally maintaining physical closeness for comfort.  Sam, Sammy knew, was just as uncomfortable with the vessel Cass had chosen for himself as Sammy was.  After all, Dean was his brother, too.

         “First, I want to apologize to everyone,” Cass was saying.  “I want you all to know, I wanted this.  I wanted to be here, with you, part of your group. But until now, that wasn’t possible. Along with the difficulties presented by my brothers in Heaven and the challenges I faced here on Earth, it was very difficult to find you.”

         “You could have called, ya idjit!” Bobby grumbled.  Then he waved a hand as Cass opened his mouth.  “I know, you’re not good with phones and technology.  But Dean was worried sick about you!  He went out to where you were hiding and found your trench coat and a nastygram from Ketch!  I assume that’s why you had to leave Novak behind?”  He reached behind him and brought up the coat.  “Here.  Adam’s got your angel blade right now, just in case he runs into trouble while he’s out with Crowley.  But you’re welcome to have this back.”

         Cass brightened at the sight of the dirty, battered trench coat.  He eagerly reached for it, accepted it from Bobby, and gave it a shake.  Lifting it up to admire the now mint condition coat, he moved to put it on. But then he froze.  His head tilted to the side in the manner of a listening dog, his green eyes narrowed.  He pinched his lips, shook his head, and carefully folded the coat.  “Perhaps I shouldn’t wear this in this vessel?” he suggested, handing the coat back to Bobby.  “Dean...  He finds it upsetting.”

         Sammy exchanged a quick glance with Sam, saw the troubled green eyes reflecting his own questions.  But neither said a word.  Between the two of them, there was no real leader.  Each had his field of expertise, and the other wordlessly stepped back to accommodate.  As a hunter, Sammy knew that Sam was letting him take the lead here.  But right now, Sammy chose to remain quiet.

         Meanwhile, Cass was smiling once more.  “Again, I’m sorry for the worry, the stress I’ve caused you.  Getting here to you was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.  But I’m here now, with you, with all of you, and I promise I’ll protect you.  You can’t imagine how wonderful this is, just being with you!”  He looked fondly around at the group before his eyes rested on Sammy and Sam. “Especially you!  I can’t even describe it, to feel Dean’s bond, his connection to his soulmates...”

         “Soulmates?!”  It came in stereo from both of their mouths, paired with identical expressions of surprise.

         “Yes, of course!”  The angel’s head tilted, his smile morphing into a puzzled frown.  “How could you not have known that?  Did you think that only romantic soulmates exist?  Platonic soulmates are not quite as strong as romantic, but they certainly exist.  And since the two of you share identical souls, all three of you have that platonic soulmate bond!”  His smile returned.  “You and Dean are fortunate that there have been two in your lives, one romantic and one platonic!  But at the same time, the pair of you are most unfortunate.  For the loss of either soulmate would be like...”

         “...Like part of me died,” Sammy whispered.  The image of Jess swam through his mind.  Then he glanced over and saw the way Sam’s eyes were locked on Dean. Understanding washed over him like a wave.  No wonder Sam had been so devastated when he’d lost his brother!  Now he understood why the lawyer had done what he did.  So much made sense now.  Sammy quickly reached over and took Sam’s arm, gave it squeeze.  Sam glanced over and gave him a small smile.

         Castiel moved forward, put a hand on each of their shoulders.  Instantly Sammy felt it, that odd comforting power the angel had now.  Sammy felt his body relax as he looked up.

         “I know that, between the two of you, you’ve experienced the loss of both soulmates,” Cass said.  The green eyes were full of sympathy.  “It’s wonderful how you’ve found each other!  Together, you can each help the other heal.”

         Sam was nodding as he clasped Castiel’s arm.  Sammy mussed the angel’s hair, giving him a smile of gratitude.  It was good to have Cass back.  He’d certainly missed Dean’s nerdy angel.  But when Cass stopped touching him and the odd angel valium withdrew, his unease returned.  Sam Farrar, apparently, had caught on.  He’d moved over near the two of them and was gently leaning towards Sammy, offering his support.  For some reason, Sammy actually found that simple, silent human gesture more comforting than even the angel valium had been.

         Fortunately, Castiel didn’t notice.  He’d returned to his seat and was speaking again.  “As soon as I could get free, I went to Jimmy Novak, of this world. I’d hoped he would let me in, but he’s different, frightened.  Apparently, Ketch’s men disturbed him greatly.  He ordered me to leave him alone, so I did.  And meanwhile, the hosts of Heaven were searching for me.  I knew I had to hide.  And that was when my Righteous Man started calling for me. He’d done it before, but now there was more to it.”

         “He found out you were gone,” PJ explained quietly.  The keyboardist had been hovering near Castiel almost protectively. Now he rested a hand on the angel’s shoulder.  “It pretty much broke that poor man, losing you.  So yeah, I imagine he was calling out for you quite a bit!”

         “That’s why I came to him.  Dean let me in, but then he immediately became upset.”  The angel was frowning again.  His hand rested over his chest, as though he were trying to comfort Dean. “I don’t think he realized what it would mean, to be my vessel.  While I did my best to comfort him, as you know, I’ve had some difficulties.  My powers, they aren’t what I’m accustomed to. That’s why I had to take over this body and expand in it, get used to what it could do.  And for that, I had to shut Dean out.  He, um, didn’t handle that well.  So I went for a walk last night.  I believed I could use that to become used to this body and at the same time try to calm Dean.”  He sighed. “Dean is really very stubborn.”

         “Amen to that,” Blake grumbled.  The big man looked somehow lost.  He had a beer in his hand that he was nursing as he listened.  Sammy was confused until he saw Blake’s wistful blue eyes were frequently moving to the window, as though watching for something.  Then he understood.  Of course.  Blake was missing Adam.

         “This world’s version of him was just as stubborn, as I’m sure his brother can relate,” Rufus began, “but there’s something I have to know.  Castiel, how is it that you escaped Ketch, but you left your vessel behind?”

         “What difference does it make?” PJ challenged.  The keyboardist was frowning as he moved closer to the angel, slipping an arm around Cass’s shoulders.  “However he got out, he did, and I’m fairly certain he didn’t make the decision to leave his vessel lightly!”

         “Coming here without a vessel was very difficult, and I’m not entirely sure where that vessel actually is right now,” Cass confessed.  “But I’m most interested in retrieving it.”

         “Yeah, that’s kind of a necessity,” Farrar noted.  “It’s not like you can stay in Dean, right?”

         “I could, actually,” Cass corrected.  “But that’s a discussion for a later date, when we can safely include Dean. For now, I’m here, with all of you!” His face broke into a sunny smile. “And this makes me very, very happy!”

****

         “What do you think, Sammy?” Sam Farrar wanted to know.

         The three Sams had stepped outside to chat.  Now both of the other two looked expectantly at him as Sammy peered through the window at the figure of his brother.  He rolled his lips into his mouth, considering his answer, and looked at the other two.  “Why don’t you two tell me what you think, first?”

         “I think it’s weird,” Farrar offered.  He was frowning, and refused to meet Sammy’s eyes as he spoke.  “He is right about that soulmate thing, by the way. It’s something I found in the research and meant to tell you, but never got around to.  And he’s obviously our angel!  I mean, between the angel valium and the way he acts and talks?  There’s no question in my mind that it’s Castiel! But I just can’t get my head around why he’s inside of Dean!  And something about him just seems off.”  He shook his head, combed his hair back with his fingers, and finally looked at Sammy. “Look, I’ll be the first person to admit I don’t know anything about angels and angelic vessels.  Castiel told us about Jimmy Novak, and Bobby expanded on it a bit when we first found out about Adam because we initially thought that’s what he was, a vessel Castiel had taken.  But Dean?  When we first met Dean, honestly, I figured he was an asshole.  But between all he’s done for us, the way he tries to take care of everyone and how cool he was with me when he was trying to help us all learn to defend ourselves?  I kind of changed my mind!”

         “Dean always was a little hard to get to know at times,” Sammy admitted.  “And being separated from Cass kind of puts him in ultra jerk mode.  But once you get to know him?  Well, I’ll admit I’m a bit prejudiced, but I think if Dean wasn’t my brother?  He’d certainly be my best friend!”

         “Yeah,” Farrar agreed.  “That’s what I mean.  I was really starting to like him!  He actually is a cool guy, and we were all counting on him to help protect us because let’s face it.  I, and the rest of the band, are in way over our heads!  We need all the help we can get!  Dean had us all feeling like maybe we had a chance, like he and the rest of you hunter types could keep us safe until Blake figured out what to do.  But now...?”  His troubled blue eyes flicked back towards the window, looking into the room where they’d left the angel chatting with PJ and Rufus.  “Who is he now?  Is he Dean?  Is he Cass? Is he some combination of both? The personality’s all Cass, right down to that confused head tilt thing he does like a bird.  But at the same time, that’s _Dean,_ you know?  Freckles and all!  Maybe it’s just my mortal human nature.  I can’t get past what I’m seeing, I guess.  I just...  Even despite all the evidence, it just doesn’t quite seem like that’s our angel. Somehow he seems, I don’t know, different?”

         Sam brightened.  “That’s exactly what I’m feeling!  It’s Castiel, but it doesn’t quite feel right.  Something seems off.”  He shrugged. “Sam might have called it.  I can’t overlook the fact that he’s in Dean, and that colors my perception.”

         “I think even PJ feels something,” Farrar offered.  “And PJ’s, like, the biggest fan Castiel ever had!  Probably goes back to his religious background.” He shrugged.  “And maybe that’s another difference with me.  The rest of the guys all immediately got all spiritual after we met our angel, but me?  I can’t deny the existence of Heaven and Hell, not with angels and demons running around with us!  But I still can’t reconcile the existence of God.”

         “God’s intervention with Cass is why he’s here today, and why he’s winning out against Cassiel,” Sammy reminded.

         “You told me that, but maybe it’s different in this world?” Farrar countered. “I’ve never believed in God.  Now I have to believe in some aspects, but if God exists, and actually gives a shit?  Then why would we have to hide out in this damp grimy bomb shelter?”  He spread his hands, indicating his surroundings. “Why would Castiel ever have to do what he did to Adam, or what he’s doing to Dean now?  For that matter, why would Castiel and Blake get stuck in the wrong universes in the first place?”

         Sam exchanged a look with Sammy.  “I can’t answer those questions,” the lawyer confessed.

         Blake came around the corner, his eyes brightening when they fell on Sam. “Today’s the day!  You ready, buddy?”

         For a moment, Sammy was confused.  Then he remembered.  His counterpart was due in court today with Blake, to plead Adam’s case and get the original murder charges dismissed. 

         Sam was nodding.  “I have my arguments prepared.  I can’t imagine I’ll have any trouble getting the original charges dropped, but the rest is going to be tricky, especially with Adam and Castiel both on the run.  They’re still going to charge them with several deaths and the prison break.  And getting Castiel out of this mess is going to be the real challenge!”  He combed his hair back out of his face with his fingers and pinched his lips.  “I can argue that everything Castiel did was in the line of duty, doing his job of protecting Adam.  But without Castiel in custody and providing testimony?  Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me!”

         Cass, who had followed behind Blake, frowned when he heard this.  “Of course,” he announced.  “Then I’ll come with you, turn myself in, and provide testimony. Whatever’s necessary to protect Adam.”

         Sammy couldn’t help but laugh.  “Cass, you’re in the wrong vessel to be turning yourself in, dude!  They’re not looking for Dean, they’re looking for Jimmy Novak!”

       Cass looked chagrined.  “Oh.  In that case, we have a problem.  That vessel is still in Ketch’s hands, and I’ve no idea where he’s taken it.”  The angel’s shoulders slumped.  “I’m sorry.  I wish there was some way I could help!”

         Blake cleared his throat.  “You can still come with us, buddy!  I know I won’t object to a little angelic taxi ride!  Hell of a lot better than driving for hours, and we can get to know each other!  Besides, I’ve been waiting for a chance to have a real talk with you.”  He clamped his hand on the angel’s shoulder.  “Just for my own peace of mind, when, exactly are you planning on taking your Grace back?”

         “It’s best I hold off for as long as possible,” Cass sighed.  “Like I said, all of my Grace in one place would end up permanently solving the issue of which version of me gets to stay.”

         Blake pinched his lips.  “Yeah, you did say that.”  He shook his head and forced a smile to his lips.  “Alright then, head in and let Bobby know what we’re doing.  I’m going to call Adam, give him the news you’re back.”

         Cass nodded and headed back inside.  Blake pulled out his cell phone and dialed his husband, putting it on speaker for the other three.  “Hey, Rockstar!” he called when Adam answered.  “You’re not gonna believe who just showed up.”

         “Who?”

         “Cass!”

         “What?! Castiel’s there?!  Hang on, I’m putting you on speaker, Crowley should probably hear this, too.”

         “Yeah, we already got you on.  I’m here with Sam’s Club.”

         “Ok, Crowley’s here.  Now what’s going on?”

         Blake quickly explained.  Adam gave a sigh of relief.  “Well, thank God he’s alright, although I’m kind of disappointed.  I mean, not to be selfish or anything, but I’m the one with his Grace in me, corrupting my soul!  Would it have killed him to let me know first, rather than waiting for you to call me?”

         “I think he’s been a bit preoccupied with Dean,” Sam called.  “They’re still having some issues over tenant rights, apparently.”

         “Yeah, I can imagine.  Well, we’ve got some good news.  Crowley’s got a good lead on an artifact we might be able to use for this hex bag!  It’s some kind of phylactery we can fill with Grace. Since I currently have way too much of it at the moment, once we get it I can fill it up and we can use it to power the hex bag!”

         “You can’t imagine what I’ve had to go through to get this far!” Crowley’s whiny voice complained.  “I’ve had to smoke out of my meat suit and shove myself into person after person, take them over to get to what we need...  I feel like a common trollop!”

         “Yeah, it’s been great,” Adam grumbled.  “Anyway, we’re real close, Big Country!  We think if we play our cards right, we might actually have this thing real soon!”

         “Great!” Blake whooped.

         “We’ve been making headway on that spell, too!” Farrar called excitedly. “Crowley, I found something I want you to take a look at.  I’ll send it to you.”

         “Of course, darling, whatever help I can provide!”

         Sammy made a face.

         Blake rolled his eyes.  “At any rate, get done with what you need to do and get back here.  Because since everyone’s looking to me as the leader for some stupid reason or another, I’m making an executive decision.  Now that Cass is here, he’s not leaving us again! We’re putting all our eggs in one basket, but frankly I’m done with being separated.”

         “United we stand, divided we fall,” Adam agreed.

       “You know it! And I’m really done with being separated from your sexy tattooed ass, so get done and get back here!”

         “Yes, sir!”

         “So glad to hear how much I’m missed,” Crowley grumbled.

         “Don’t worry, Crowley,” Adam assured.  “They miss you with every shot!”

         “Your husband is very droll,” Crowley told Blake.  “I’m sure he must be a huge hit at parties.”

         Blake grinned.  “Lawyer Sam and I are due in court to start pleading your case.”

         “Oh fun,” Adam groaned.  “Good luck, and let me know what happens.”

         “Will do.  Love you, Rockstar!”

         “Love you too, Big Country!”

         “Yes, kisses, Sexy, and to the moose twins and their sidekick as well!” Crowley added.

         “Did he just call me the sidekick to the moose twins?” Farrar complained when Blake hung up.  “That guy makes an art form out of getting people pissed off at him!”

         “Meet Crowley,” Sammy sighed.  He turned to Sam.  “Well, if Cass is going to transport you guys, you’ve got extra time on your hands. What do you want to do with it?”

         “Honestly?  Go see my family.”  The green eyes softened.  “Jess and the kids are really looking forward to meeting you, Sammy.  Do you think, if Castiel is willing to take us, you might want to meet with Jess tonight?  We got a place, and the kids are staying with an old friend of ours from school.  The adults could get to know each other tonight, and then you could meet the kids in the morning?”

         “I’d like that very much!”  Sammy smiled, and received a smile in return.  Even now, as Blake laughed and Farrar gave a mocking groan and tried to hide his own pleased smile, Sammy could see it.  The question in his counterpart’s eyes, the offer waiting there.  Someday soon, Sammy had no doubt that he’d have a difficult decision to make about his future.  But right now, he had no idea what his answer would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks this is very difficult. Thinks Cass is a dumbass. Lawyer Sam has his work cut out for him here, but they all do. Doesn’t think they’re really thinking this all the way through. Something is bound to go wrong, because he knows the author.


	2. Charges and Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Lawyer Sam have their day in court

            Blake stormed out of the courthouse and hurled what was left of his coffee across the parking lot.  “Fuck!” he roared _“Fuck!_  I cannot believe this shit!  I told them that Adam and Cass had nothing to do with what happened to me and Cass actually got me out, and they’re _still_ issuing bench warrants for both of them?!” He angrily booted a piece of debris. “This is such horseshit!”

            Lawyer Sam trudged behind him, looking miserable. “I’m sorry, Blake,” he sighed.  “I did my best, but between the bodies and the fact that they’re both on the run...?”

            Blake grimaced and immediately felt bad.  “Aw, I’m not mad at you, Sammy!  Don’t you go thinking I am!”

            “I know, Blake, but I can’t help but feel that if I’d had more experience, or...?”

            Blake waved a hand.  “You did the best you could do with what you had.  This ain’t nothing to do with you.”  Blake clutched two fistfuls of his greying hair, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes, breathing through his nose.  “You know, I’m glad we gotta walk a ways to meet Cass. I need to settle down!  Cass is so damned innocent, you know?  Last thing I need is to have him think I’m pissed off at him.”  He kicked at a broken piece of sidewalk.  “You know, I think that’s the thing that pisses me off the most?  All Castiel did the whole time he’s been here is try to help Adam.  And the very first thing he did when he heard us talking was offer to turn himself in! He’s got the worst of this shit, and he hasn’t done a single thing wrong!  Gah, this is such absolute fucking bullshit!”

            The lawyer was silent.

            Blake glanced at him.  “You know, I get it’s probably tough for you and Hunter Sam, and I still intend to make him pay for it.  But Ketch almost did a favor when he forced Castiel to jump bodies!  I’m sorry it’s messed up things for Dean, but I’m glad Castiel, at least, won’t have to worry about getting arrested while he’s in Dean’s body!  It’s a small comfort, but at this point, I’ll take whatever I can get!”

            “You and me both,” Sam grumbled.  He quickly fell into step next to Blake.  “Well, I don’t have to tell you this is a mess. Adam’s best bet is to turn himself in and, unfortunately, testify against Castiel.  At least, like you said, with our angel inside of our brother, there’s no chance that...”

            Blake’s eyebrow shot up.  “ _Our_ brother?”  His lips curled into a grin.  “You and Hunter Sam are really getting on, aren’t you?”

            Sam seemed to shrink, ducking his head with a shy smile.  “Sammy and I consider each other brothers, and yes, we’re close.  I know everyone’s making a big deal out of that one night, b-but it was just, you know, experimenting!  We were just satisfying some curiosity, ok?  It’s not like we’re, you know, together!”

            “I get it, and I don’t blame ya,” Blake offered. “I know it ain’t like that, and the truth is, band does, too.  They’re just screwing with ya!”  He laughed again at the look on the lawyer’s face.  “Oh settle down, Sammy.  They’re teasing you because they like you!”

            “Comforting.”  The lawyer, Blake noticed, had as good a bitch face as the hunter.

            Blake smiled.  “Even so, I can’t blame you.  If I’d have met another version of me when I was on the other side and we got along like you two are?  Hell, I might have done a bit of experimenting myself!”  He gave Sam a sly grin.  “Of course, seeing as how I’m currently married to a guy that’s almost as sexy as I am, any time I want to experiment...?”

            “Ok, Blake!” Sam laughed.  “There are some things about my clients I do not need to be privy to!  But you’re missing my point.  Sammy and I...?  It’s different than the soulmate thing, but at the same time, it’s a lot like that. I’ve never met anyone who understands me so well!  I can tell him anything, the worst, most shameful things I’ve ever done.  And he gets it!”  The green eyes were serious as he looked at Blake.  “Blake, I’ve always been a selfish man.  What I did with Dean is proof enough of that!  And I know Sammy’s just as selfish, because we’re the same person.  But the truth is?  I don’t want him to go back to his own universe!”

            “Dean, or Hunter Sam?”

            “Both!” Sam frowned moodily at the sidewalk.  His expression was troubled.  “Having them around?  I cannot describe how great it is!  Even though we’re on the run and hiding out and it’s terrifying, it’s still the most amazing thing I’ve ever done!  B-but I know, in the end, it will all be over and I’ll go back to my comfortable life with my job and my family, and it’s going to be a huge relief.  It’s not like that for them, though, Blake.  Sam and Dean do this shit for a living!  I’ve done this for a few weeks, and it’s exhausting. They’ve spent their entire life on the run, always trying to keep one step ahead of their enemies!  They’re heroes, but it’s cost them so much, and they’re tired of it, Blake.  I don’t want them to have to go back to that life.  A-and to be perfectly honest?  I don’t think they want to, either!  I want them to stay!”

            Blake eyed him.  “And how’s your wife and family going to feel about that?”

            “We already talked it over,” Sam reported. “She’s meeting Sammy tonight, and we’ll talk to him.  She already wants Dean to stay.  In fact, she already asked him, and said he was really thinking about it!  If Sammy stays, Dean will, too.  I’m sure of it!  And I really really want Sammy to stay!”

            Blake nodded, solemn.  “I can understand that.  Hell, I already told Hunter Sam that he’ll always have a place with me and Adam.  And you better get used to us, too, buddy because we’re not letting you go easy, either! But asking Hunter Sam to stay with you? Well, that’s something you’ll have to talk to him about, I reckon.  Him and Dean both, along with Castiel.  Bobby’s got an alternative over on this side, too, with Rufus.  And Adam and I would put all four of the Unicorn Gang up any time they asked.  Whatever we had to do to protect them!”  He paused, glancing at Lawyer Sam.  “Thing is, I have to wonder just how long they’d really be in danger if they got this shit cleared up with Ketch, and Cass could somehow work things out with the other angels.  Because it has occurred to me that, if this universe could adapt Cass?  It stands to reason it could adapt the rest of the unicorns, too!  Maybe, if they just stayed here long enough, they’d eventually stop being unicorns and just be normal people?”

            Sam smiled.  “I thought of that, too!  I was kind of afraid to suggest it, because I didn’t want anyone to think that I was looking for an excuse to keep Dean.  But I have been thinking about it for sure!”

            Blake scowled.  “Of course, first we gotta get Adam and Cass through this legal bullshit!”

            “I know.”  Sam paused.  “It is strange, though.  Castiel, I suspected I wouldn’t be able to get him off without a trial and possibly some jail time.  But Adam?” He shook his head, frowning.  “It doesn’t make sense to prosecute Adam! Someone higher up is pushing this, Blake.  And I think it’s happening just to try to force Adam to testify against Castiel!”

            “Yeah, well, push back!” Blake ordered.  “Those fuckers aren’t going to get away with this!”

            “I’ll do my best, Blake,” Sam vowed.  “And don’t count out my wife!  Jess’s firm is interested in a high-profile case like this. I have no idea what she’s telling them about what the Men of Letters is really about, but she says they’re already making some inquiries.  Matthews, Stein, and Abrams is not a firm to fuck with!”

            “That’s who she’s with?” Blake marveled.  “I know about those guys!  They’ve got some real ball busters on that team!  Glad to hear they’re taking an interest!”  He sighed.  “I got a feeling we’re going to need all the help we can get!”

            The two continued to walk.  Blake got recognized by a passing couple, but a few autographs and pictures later, they were alone.  Lawyer Sam, Blake knew, had raised Cain about keeping the date of the hearing under wraps, and his agent and Carson had been pulling strings to make it happen.  Now they were able to enjoy their walk back to the secluded spot where they could meet Cass in peace.  It was a beautiful day for a walk.  The temperature was perfect, the sun was shining, and the air was filled with birdsong. All of it worked wonders to help restore Blake’s naturally sunny disposition, and soon, he was smiling again.

            Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have the same effect on Sam. “What I need is a viable alternative,” the lawyer was musing aloud.  He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket and was walking with his head down, a moody frown on his face.  “It’s not like we can just pretend that nothing happened!  People are dead, and someone needs to be held responsible! Even though the burden of proof is on the state, they’ve got an awful lot of circumstantial evidence.  Even with no fingerprints or smoking gun, the fact remains that Castiel had the means, motive, and opportunity in every crime where he’s accused.  I can’t imagine any situation where a jury won’t convict!  Adam, I can probably claim as a victim of circumstance.  If he turns himself in, pays a fine for obstruction of justice?  I could try to get him ROR.”

            “ROR?”

            “Released On Recognizance,” Sam explained. “Basically, he’d be out of prison because he promised to behave himself.  But honestly, I’m not entirely sure about that.  The ADA prosecuting these, Mark Wentworth?  He’s big on what he considers ‘social justice.’  He tends to push hard if the accused has money or influence, because he grew up poor and in a bad neighborhood.  If anyone’s behind this drive to prosecute Adam and make him turn on Castiel, he’s probably the guy!”  Sam grimaced.  “At least that’s what my office tells me, because I have no idea!  I’ve never tried a case this big in my life!”  He shook his head, his green eyes troubled as he looked at Blake.  “I’ll say to you what I said to Adam.  Blake, I am in over my head!  I do not have the experience or the connections to give you the best defense on this case.  Now, you guys have had a lot of offers for counsel, some from some very well-known and influential criminal defense lawyers.  I’m strongly advising you to go with one of them, and, if you want, I’ll just stay on in a support role.”

            Blake stopped, stopping the lawyer with a hand on his shoulder.  “Adam knew about these other lawyers when they arrested him?”

            “Yeah, he did.  And I tried then to talk him into accepting, but he refused!”

            “Then I will, too.”

            Sam sputtered.  “B-Blake, I...!”

            Blake held up a hand.  “Sammy, you got us into field goal range, you can take us into the end zone.  You’re smart! You’re quick on your feet, and what you lack in experience, you make up for in dedication.  If we go with one of those fancy-ass lawyers, they’re only going to be in it for the hourly billing rate.  I’m sure they’ll try like hell to win, because their reputation will be at stake. But at the end of the day, they still get paid no matter whose life gets ruined.”  He smiled.  “Meanwhile, you’re in this because you actually give a shit!  That, to me, means more than anything else any other lawyer can bring to the table.  Then, there’s the biggest reason of all - Adam trusts you, Sammy.  And so do I!”

            The green eyes went wide.  Blake quickly pulled him in for a hug, not missing the chance to plant a kiss on the side of the lawyer’s head.  Sam laughed and squirmed free.  “Gah! Adam’s clingy, and you’re kissy!  You two!  It’s no friggin’ wonder people questioned if Adam only hired me for my looks!”

            “Well, you are a looker, Sammy.”

            “Whatever, Sexiest Man Alive!”

            Blake began to strut.  “You know it!”

            Sam laughed and the two started off again, both much more cheerful.

            There was a dark-colored van with tinted windows coming down the street towards them.  Blake paid it no attention until the door suddenly opened and three armed men wearing ski masks jumped out.  In an instant, they had Lawyer Sam and had dragged him into the van.

            Blake reacted instantly, charging into the van after them a moment before it took off in a squeal of tires.  He immediately started swinging.  Sam, he was pleased to note, was fighting as well.  The lawyer had only learned some basic self-defense moves, but he was putting them to good use.  Plus he was big, strong, and fast.  His attackers had managed to shut the door, trapping Blake and Sam inside of the van.  But the two men who were trying to pin Sam down were having a hell of a time.

            Meanwhile, Blake had his hands full with the single opponent he faced.  Asshole #3 was a skilled fighter.  Blake had him on reach, but the inside of the van, devoid of seats, forced him to stay crouched and threw off his center of balance.  Meanwhile, the bastard had some serious moves.  He was also way too quick.  The hits were coming hard and fast, Blake’s opponent moving too rapidly for Blake to land most of his attacks.  Already, Blake’s ears were ringing.  He stubbornly fought on.  If he could get a hold of the son of a bitch, Blake believed, he could end this.  But the way things were going, Asshole #3 was about to win this fight!

            “Blake!”

            Sam’s warning came a moment too late.  A heavy blow from the rear sent Blake to his hands and knees.  Then Asshole #3 gave him a kick to the ribs and Blake went down, groaning in pain.  A moment later, Blake’s hands were caught behind him by a plastic tie.  Hands patted him down, found the angel blade he’d smuggled into the courthouse, and removed it.  Blake snarled up at him.  “Motherfucker!  What the hell do you want?!”

            Asshole #3 didn’t answer.  He moved past Blake, leaving Asshole #2 standing over the singer, and approached Sam.  Asshole #1 was holding Sam down on the floor of the van.  The lawyer’s hands had been restrained behind his back with another plastic tie.  Three looked at Sam’s hands for a moment.  Then he helped One roll him onto his side.  The lawyer managed to land a couple more kicks before Three moved out of the way, crouching down to take hold of Sam’s shirt.

            Even before the bastard tore Sam’s shirt open, revealing his unmarked chest, Blake knew what they were looking for and, subsequently, who his attacker was.  “It’s the lawyer, Ketch!” he called.  “Y’all are a bunch of morons!  Who else would it be?!  We just left a courthouse, you stupid son of a bitch!”

            Asshole #3 stilled.  Then he turned, heading back towards Blake.  Once again he crouched down, this time removing his ski mask.  “I believe you have something that belongs to me,” Ketch announced.

            “I believe you can suck my cock!”

            “I will ruin you, Ketch!” Sam roared. “Assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint?!  I don’t care how much influence you’ve got, that’s Blake fucking Shelton you just tied up on the floor of a van!”

            “I’m aware.”  Ketch’s eyes were cold as ice as they looked down at Blake.  “I assume you got my note?”

            “The one asking me to the prom?” Blake snapped. “Sorry, asshole, I’m already taken!”

            “This is what is going to happen,” Ketch said, unconcerned.  “The lawyer will remain in our custody on a temporary basis...”

            “Like hell he will!” Blake roared.

            “You’re not keeping me!” Sam yelled.

            Ketch looked annoyed.  “He will remain in our custody on a temporary basis,” he repeated, “until such time as his monster counterpart can be located and captured.” He pointed at Blake with the angel blade.  “You know what I want, Shelton.  Come to a time and location of my choosing, and an exchange will be made.  Then you can continue on your way, I’ll make sure all of your husband’s legal issues disappear, and it will be as if none of this ever happened!  Questions?”

            Blake had a question alright.  But before he could ask it, the van struck something with a crash that sent everyone tumbling or rolling towards the front of the van.

            “Bugger me!” Ketch yelled.  “Charles, what the hell was that?!”

            “I don’t know, Mr. Ketch!” squeaked the masked driver.  “He just showed up out of nowhere!  I ran right into him!  He’s gotta be dead, right?”

            The van door was suddenly opened, revealing an extremely annoyed angel.  Castiel took in the sight of Blake and Sam, restrained and tangled with their kidnappers on the floor of the van.  Then his eyes went to Ketch and narrowed.

            “That’s the guy!” the driver exclaimed.  He sounded near panic.  “I slammed right into him, and he’s still walking?!”

            Ketch seemed frozen.  He stared at Castiel as if in shock.  “Winchester?!  How did you...?”  He straightened, understanding dawning on his face.  “So _that’s_ how you’ve done it! Oh, you clever git!”

            Cass pointed at Blake and Sam.  “Release them!  Now!”

            In answer, Ketch raised Blake’s angel blade. “This can hurt even you!  And as you can see, your friends are very much in my control!”

            Blake grunted, feeling the cold metal of a gun press against the back of his head.  He glanced over at Sam and saw the lawyer in similar condition.  At least Sammy wasn’t panicking.  His lips were pulled back in a snarl as he strained against the plastic ties.  “He won’t kill us!” the lawyer insisted.  “Blake’s too well known, and neither one of us are monsters!”

            “That didn’t stop him from killing your brother,” Blake reminded quietly.  His eyes moved to Ketch, not liking the way the hunter was smiling triumphantly at Cass.

            Cass narrowed his eyes.  “You killed the Righteous Man?  It was you!”

            Ketch reached into his pocket and produced a silvery cuff.  “Put this on,” he ordered, tossing it at Cass.  “And get into the van.  Come along quietly, and as soon as you’re properly restrained, I’ll release your friends!”

            Cass looked down at the cuff.  The green eyes moved to Sam, who was looking hard at him. Then he nodded.  “Agreed.”

            “What?!” Blake sputtered.  “Cass, don’t!”

            Too late.  The manacle snapped into place, and Castiel actually swayed, catching hold of the side of the van for support.

            Ketch was up and moving before Blake could blink, dragging the angel into the van.  “Go, go!” he called, throwing Cass down and slamming the door closed.

            The damaged engine sputtered back to life, and the van pulled out.

            “Hey!” Blake protested.  “What happened to releasing his friends?”

            “I said that would happen _after_ the angel was properly restrained!  And he isn’t, especially not so long as Sam Winchester has the key to that manacle in his pocket, don’t you?”  Ketch smiled a cruel smile, seeing Sam pale.  Still smiling, Ketch dug into the lawyer’s pockets and produced the key.  “Would you look at that?  You’ve kept it with you all this time!”

            Sam turned pleading eyes towards Cass, who was picking himself up off of the ground.  “I’m sorry!  I shouldn’t have called you, and I shouldn’t have told you I had that key and let you get trapped!”

            “What makes you think I need a key?”

            All eyes turned to Castiel.  The angel was standing, holding up his wrist with the manacle.  The silver had changed to glowing red.  It dripped, molten, onto the floor as Cass’s green eyes filled with blue-white light. They looked hard at Ketch and narrowed. “Your toys couldn’t hold me before, assbutt,” he announced.  “What made you think they could hold me now?!”

            Ketch’s jaw dropped.  “Mother of...!”

            A heavy hand clamped onto Blake’s shoulder, only to be immediately released as its owner found himself propelled backwards. Asshole #1 and #2 went smashing through the windshield.  The ski masked driver gave a comical scream of fright and the brakes squealed, sending everyone but Cass rolling or stumbling again.  Then Cass gestured, and the driver also went flying through the windshield.

            Ketch recovered quickly.  He raised Blake’s angel blade and lunged at Cass. 

            _“Cass!”_ Blake roared, trying to get up and help.

            But Cass brought up his own weapon.  It was different than Blake’s, golden rather than silver, with an odd twisting blade.  Blake had no idea where the angel had gotten it, but it was certainly effective. It sliced neatly through Ketch’s weapon. The sound the broken blade made when the severed end hit the floor of the van seemed unnaturally loud.

            Every drop of blood seemed to have drained from Ketch’s face.  The Englishman’s eyes were fixed on Cass’s weapon, his mouth gaping in a wide O of shock. He dropped the broken weapon, raised his hands, and took a shaky step backwards.  “I’m leaving,” he announced.  “I’m no further threat to you or yours!”

            Cass indicated the van door, which slid obediently open.  “Then go!”

            Ketch bolted.

            Blake whooped.  “Cass, you beautiful feathered son of a bitch!” he cheered.  “I could...  Holy shit, Cass?!”

            Before Blake’s shocked eyes, the angel had collapsed. He crumbled into a heap, his golden blade falling from his hand.  Blake swore, rolled and crawled his way to it, and used it to cut himself free.  He quickly freed Sam as well.  Then he knelt down next to the groaning angel.

            Castiel did not look good.  He’d gone pale, and his eyes appeared glazed and half-closed as he lay on the floor of the van.  Blake gathered him into his arms.  “Cass?” he called, patting the angel’s cheeks.  “Come on, buddy, talk to me!”

            “I’m ok,” Cass grunted.  “I just, well, I tried to make it look easy, but that actually took a great deal of power.  I may have over-extended myself.”

            “It’s ok, I got you!”  Blake gathered him up as Lawyer Sam opened the door.  Sam checked outside, nodded to Blake, and Blake climbed out, carrying the angel.

            Running while carrying a six-foot-one athletically-built man wasn’t easy, especially when his ribs were still screaming from where he’d been struck.  Blake managed it, though, running after Lawyer Sam.  They raced a few blocks and ducked into the dubious safety of someone’s back yard, crouched behind a hedge.

            Cass squirmed.  “I’m alright.  Put me down.”

            “You sure, buddy?”

            In answer, the angel gently reached up and touched Blake’s forehead.  Instantly, the injuries he’d received fighting with Ketch and his men healed.

            “Ok, I’d say he’s got his spunk back,” Blake announced.  Reassured, he let the angel down.  Cass still looked a little dazed, but was able to heal Sam, as well.  The angel sat up and rubbed at his head.  He gave Blake a small smile.  “Don’t worry, my friend.  I’m alright.  Just give me a moment more to fully recover.”

            Blake hugged him fiercely.  “Dude, don’t do that!  You scared the shit out of me!”

            “Assbutt?” Sam asked quietly.

            Blake blinked at him.  “Priorities, Sam!  Although I’ll admit, that was funny as hell, not to mention adorable.”  Blake peered into Cass’s face.  “You sure you’re alright?”

            “Yes.”  Already, the freckled cheeks were starting to regain their color.  Cass accepted Blake’s help getting up.  Then he was standing, shaking his head to clear it before offering Blake a smile.  “Thank you.”

            “Hey, no problem!”  Blake grinned.  “You sure gave that Ketch a fright, didn’t you?  Say, where’d you get the fancy blade?”

            Castiel accepted the golden blade back with a smile, returning it to the sheath on his wrist.  “I brought it with me when I took this vessel,” he explained.  “It’s something I can summon in my true form.”

            “It’s pretty sweet!”

            The angel nodded.  “It’s much more powerful than the one you had.”  He straightened.  “I believe I’m able to take you back to the shelter now.  And I probably should!  Are those sirens I hear?”

            “Yeah, I really do not want to have to explain this,” Sam called.  “But are you sure you’re up to it?”

            Cass looked at Blake.  “Is it common for lawyers to constantly ask questions that have already been answered?”

            “Unfortunately, yes,” Blake replied solemnly.

            Sam rolled his eyes.  “Fine.  Castiel, please get us out of here!”

            The angel nodded, reached for them, and once again came the welcome sound of fluttering wings.

****

            After all he’d seen and done in his life, very few things had the ability to rattle Arthur Ketch.  But he was rattled now.  Ketch sat on the curb of the sidewalk, where he accepted the drink from his assistant with a shaking hand.  “Charles, we’re going to need to update the bounty board,” he ordered. “It seems I vastly underestimated the resources of our opponents!”

            “Yes sir, Mr. Ketch!”  Charles paused, eyeing his boss.  “Um, are you alright, sir?  We got thrown out the windshield, but you were right in the back with them! You’re lucky to be alive!”  The timid assistant looked anxiously around. “Are you sure you want to stop here? We’re pretty close to where we left those three!  Maybe we should move to...?”

            “If that fucking thing wanted me dead, I’d be dead now!” Ketch snapped.  “He could have turned that entire van, the street, the entire bloody _block_ into a smoking crater if he wished to do so!” He clutched at his hair.  “I don’t understand this, Charles!  Why did he let us go?  He could have literally disintegrated you and both of my men, and then turned me inside-out!  But instead, he threw my men out, let you stop the van before throwing you out after them, and then simply disarmed me and let me go!  Dammit!  I don’t understand!”  He took a slow, deep breath.  His eyes shifted with his restless thoughts.  Then they settled on the slight, shaken and somewhat rumpled form of his assistant.  “Cass,” he mused.  “That’s what Shelton called him.  And the monster version of Sam Winchester said the same name.  Not Castiel, Cass!”

            Charles didn’t say anything.  Of course not.  He knew better than to interrupt Ketch when he was deep in thought.  And after a moment, his patience was rewarded when Ketch straightened.  “Charles, call for a ride.  When we get back, I’ll need everything you have on angels whose names begin with C-A-S.”

            “Yes, sir, Mr. Ketch.”  Charles quickly called for a car.  Then he again turned to his boss.  “You’re on to something, aren’t you, sir?”

            Ketch had stopped shaking now.  His eyes had grown hard and determined once more.  “They confused me, I won’t lie.  But I think I may finally understand just what it is I’ve been dealing with.  Charles, I have been looking at this from the wrong angle.  Suddenly, it all makes sense!”  He suddenly frowned.  “But if I’m right, then I’m afraid I don’t have the capability to handle it.  We’re going to need a bit of assistance.”

            “Sir?”  Charles’s mousy face was a study in confusion.  “Assistance from London?  You know that the Overseer is going to be angry you took Winchester and Shelton hostage! If he finds out you threatened a lawyer and a country star, there’s going to be hell to pay!”

            “I was actually thinking of actual Hell.” Ketch rose to his full height and finished his drink.  “If what I’m thinking is correct?  Then I suspect Azazel will be most interested!”

            “Azazel?!”  No other name could have surprised Charles more.  “You want to talk to the King of Hell?!  But sir, you’ve destroyed dozens of his demons!  He wants your head on a platter!”

            “True,” Ketch admitted.  “But I might just be able to offer him something he’ll want badly enough to let bygones be bygones!”

            “And what would that be?”

            “An old enemy,” Ketch announced.  “One as old as time itself!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said, “Well, aren’t you just Mr. Poopy Pants!” Got a very large smile when the van ran into something. Said Ketch forgot about angels! Loved Ketch freaking out. Says Cass proved him wrong, because he thought Cass could bring them back, but he didn’t need to do that, just get in the van where he could control the situation. Well played!


	3. Jess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lawyer Sam takes his counterpart to meet Jess. Hunter Sam reveals his darkest secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW!

            Castiel, apparently, was quite happy to help out. Sammy didn’t know exactly what Sam told the angel, but Cass was surprisingly pleased when he transported the two of them to a small hunting cabin near a lake.  “Is this good?” Cass asked Sam.

            The lawyer nodded.  “Thanks, Castiel.  We’ll call you tomorrow, alright?”

            “Of course.”  Cass was still smiling.  He pulled Sammy into a hug that made the hunter’s ribs creak.  Apparently, Blake had rubbed off on him.  He was huggier now than he’d been after Sammy had first shown the angel how to do it.  “Best of luck to you both!” the angel said as he finally released Sammy.

            “S-sure,” Sammy managed.  “Thanks, Cass!”

            And then the angel was gone, and it was just the two of them, standing outside the cabin.

            Sammy turned to face the door.  All of a sudden, he felt like a kid again.  In his mind’s eye, he could see her, the beautiful blonde who had turned every head as she’d walked through the campus at Stanford, her face set into a frown as she studied her class schedule.  It seemed like every available male on campus had tried to talk to her, get her attention.  Sammy had been sure he didn’t stand even a ghost of a chance.  But somehow, when he’d finally gotten a chance to talk with her, the two of them had clicked.  It was almost as if he’d found something he’d been unknowingly searching for all of his life.  The missing piece of his soul.  His soulmate.

            Sam’s hand was on his shoulder.  “She’s waiting,” he reminded.

            Sammy swallowed.  “M-maybe you should go in first?”

            The lawyer smiled.  “I’ll be right behind you.”

            Walking into dens of monsters was easier than this. For a brief moment, Sammy entertained the fantasy of running, screaming, into the lake.  Then he took a deep breath, reached out a shaking hand, and opened the door.

            She was there.  Jess was standing inside, apparently pacing around.  But she grew still when she saw Sammy.  Her face curved into a welcoming smile.  “Hello, Sammy.”

            Even her voice was the same.  Sammy knew he was staring, but it didn’t matter.  It was her.  It was Jess, his Jess, the woman he loved, the woman he’d already planned to ask to marry him at graduation.  The years hadn’t seemed to touch her at all.  She moved forward, reached for his hand, and gently pulled him forward into the cabin.

            Sammy went where he was led.  He’d largely stopped thinking.  Behind him, he could hear the faint sounds as Sam stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind them.  They’d agreed on this, that Sam would be here for this first meeting. Sammy was grateful.  The lawyer’s presence was the only thing that was keeping Sammy from falling completely apart, from grabbing this woman before him and breaking down, begging her to forgive him for getting her involved in his family’s issues, for drawing Azazel’s attention to her, for running off to help his father with Dean and not being there, leaving her to face Azazel alone...

            Her hand was cupping the back of his neck. She was pressed up against him, reaching up her other hand to gently brush the lock of hair back that had fallen in his face.  “You really are him!” she marveled.  “I’m so glad you’re here!”

            And then the pressure of her hand on the back of his head drew his face down, meeting her lips as she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him.

            _Soulmate._   Everything inside of Sammy seemed to reach out for this woman.  Even before he took her in his arms, he could feel it, that sense of completeness that had been missing since the day he’d seen her pinned to the ceiling of his room.  That day, he’d known something was wrong, but the terror she must have felt when Azazel had come for her had been swallowed up, lost in the horror of the hunt.  And he hadn’t wanted to know, had he?  Even though part of him had already known, he’d buried that primal knowledge until the moment he’d climbed into their bed and felt her blood drip down onto him...

            But not here.  Here, Jess was alive.  She was warm and soft.  And she was kissing him.

            He made a sound, part cry and part moan as he deepened the kiss, tongue eagerly delving into her mouth.  Jess was returning it, raising one leg to wrap around his hips, pressing herself to him.  When they finally broke away, Sammy was gasping, swaying.  He quickly turned away from her and might have fallen if it hadn’t been for the large, strong hands that gripped his arms.

            “It’s alright,” Sam whispered, steadying him. He reached up, gently brushing his thumbs over Sammy’s cheeks, and Sammy realized with a start that he was crying. “Believe me, I understand!”

            Sammy clung to him and shook his head.  “She’s your wife,” he forced himself to say, knowing in his heart he didn’t believe the words.  “She’s not my Jess!”

            “Yes, she is.  She’s our soulmate, Sammy.  Yours and mine!”

            “Sammy?”  Her hand was on his back, and the skin beneath her touch seemed unusually warm. “We are soulmates!  I feel as though I’ve known you all my life.  And I love you!  I love you both!”

            Hearing it said aloud was like lancing an infected wound.  Sam had told him how it was with Dean, that sense of wholeness he’d felt just being around his brother, the immediate bond.  Dean had been hurt, frightened, and confused at first.  He’d fought with Sam, given the lawyer no end of troubles as only Dean could do until he’d finally relaxed and let himself feel the bond he couldn’t quite understand.  For his part, once Sammy had seen the two of them together, he’d expected to feel at least a twinge of jealousy.  Instead, all he’d felt was contentment.  Seeing the two of them together had just seemed _right._   It wasn’t like Sam was taking his place.  It was more like they both should have been with Dean all along.

            But this, this was different.  Jess was Sam’s wife!  Sure, they’d talked about it and Sam had been fine.  But now, faced with his wife professing love to another man, it had to be different!  He forced himself to look up, to meet Sam’s eyes.

            Those eyes held only the same gentle, brotherly affection he’d seen there since that first night they’d gotten to know each other. Sam didn’t speak.  He simply dropped one hand from Sammy’s face and used the other to gently turn the hunter’s head, forcing him to look again at Jess.

            Jess never hesitated.  She quickly stepped forward, kissed him again.  She looked at her husband, smiled, and kissed him, as well. And then she stepped away.

            Sammy turned, following her progress.  She’d moved back to the waiting bed and climbed into it.  She lay on her side, supporting her head with one hand.  The other she extended towards Sammy with a smile of welcome.

            Sammy stopped thinking.  This was Jess, his Jess, and she wanted him, and nothing else mattered now except that he take her and show her in every possible way he could just how much she meant to him.  He was on the bed in a second, kissing her, holding her.  Jess was returning kiss for kiss.  She laughed, rolling the two of them so she was straddling Sammy.  Then, her eyes still locked with his, she raised her arms.

            The gentle give of the bed announced the presence of her husband.  He crawled up behind her and took her dress, raising it up and pulling it off, revealing her breasts.  Then she raised up, letting him remove her panties as well, leaving her naked above Sammy. She turned her head slightly, reaching behind herself to bring Sam’s head forward to where she could kiss him. It caused her back to arch, made her breasts jut forward.  Sammy cupped them, gently squeezing.  Jess moaned into her husband’s mouth.  Then she let out a little cry when Sammy rolled her nipples the way he remembered she liked.

            Sam’s hands circled her waist, lifted her to lay her on her back on the bed.  He was already naked.  Sammy quickly stripped out of his clothes, his eyes on the couple as Sam leaned over his wife to lick and suck at her nipple in a manner that only long practice could create.  Sammy climbed over to tend to her other nipple.  He’d never been in a threesome before, and knew Sam hadn’t either.  But this had very little to do with the two of them.  It was all about Jess, about making this beautiful, incredible woman feel pleasure like she’d never felt before.  Already, she was moaning.  Then Sam moved down, lifting up the leg closest to him to expose her sex and lowered his head. Her moan turned into a keen.

            Sammy mimicked him, raising her other leg and joining his counterpart in exploring the secret folds of her.  The air was filled with the scent of her musk and her soft cries.  The two men continued to work, lips and tongues busy, and soon she began to thrash, her needy cries growing higher in pitch.  When her orgasm hit, it was everything Sammy remembered and more. Her legs tightened around the two of them, pulling their mouths tight against her as her back arched and her hands frantically clawed at the bedclothes.  _“Samuel!”_

            He’d forgotten that.  Jess had always called him “Sam” except for two occasions – when she was pissed off at him, or when she came.  Then it was “Samuel.”  The sound of that name made his already-hard dick become almost painfully engorged. Nothing else mattered.  He had to have her.

            Sammy moved back with a low growl, seized her arms, and rolled onto his back, pulling her after him.  The sound of her laughter mixed with that of her husband’s.  She went willingly, straddling him, raising herself up.  Then she moaned as she lowered herself onto him.  As her tight, wet heat engulfed him, Sammy felt something strange.  The mystery was solved when she settled herself, leaned forward, and Sam carefully drew something out of her rectum.

            It was a butt plug.  She’d prepared herself for this.

            Jess leaned forward to kiss Sammy and moaned into his mouth as Sam climbed into place behind her, straddling Sammy’s legs. He moved, and Sammy felt it the moment he’d entered her.  The sensation was mind blowing, and apparently Sammy’s partners felt the same. Cries of pleasure filled the air as they began to move, coordinating their movements almost instinctively, Sammy’s hands on Jess’s shoulders supporting her while Sam’s hands on her hips guided her movements.  It was the single most erotic experience of Sammy’s life.  Her vagina was hot and tight and wet, and the sensation of pressure, the added weight and stimulation from Sam in her rectum only made it better. Jess was lost in it.  She seemed all but overwhelmed in the feeling of being doubly penetrated.  Her head lolled on her neck, her long blonde locks dangling in Sammy’s face.  He lowered her so that he could tend to her breasts with his mouth, still thrusting upwards into her.  The weight increased as Sam leaned forward, releasing her hips so he could cup at her breasts, holding them for Sammy to minister to while he claimed his wife’s mouth.  Sammy moaned, supporting the two of them.  His climax was building and a moment later the world whited out with the biggest orgasm he’d ever had.  If the sound of Sam’s cries, muffled slightly by Jess’s mouth, were any indication, he’d come at nearly the same time.  And then Jess was crying out as well, throwing back her head, her muscles tightening on Sammy’s length, her body seeming to want nothing more than to draw both of the members penetrating her holes deep inside and not let go.  “Samuel!  Oh, Samuel!”

            Nothing he’d ever done could ever compare to this.

            Panting, Sammy carefully let her down to lie on his chest.  Sam came down with her for a moment, chuckling as he lay on the two of them before he gently withdrew and rolled.  “That?” he managed between breaths.  “That was the most amazing thing I have ever done!”

            Sammy could only nod in agreement.

            Jess moaned when her husband left, and moaned again as she rolled off of Sammy as well.    She smiled fondly at Sammy.  “You’re so strong!” she marveled.  “I can’t believe you held us both up!”

            And just like that, the happy, warm cocoon of post-coital bliss that Sammy had been in seemed to burst.  “Sam?” he called quietly.  “You didn’t tell her.”

            Sam froze for a moment.  “I didn’t feel I had the right,” he explained.  “I told her a little, b-but not all of it.”

            “For fuck’s sake!” Sammy hissed, rising on one elbow to glare at his counterpart over a confused Jess.  “She needed to know what she was literally getting in bed with!  You should have told her!”

            “Told me what?”  Jess was frowning.  “I know, in your universe, I was killed by a demon, Sammy.  So if that’s what you’re worried about...?”

            But Sammy was shaking his head.  “The problem isn’t you, Jess,” he explained.  “The problem is me!”

            “Sammy?” Sam called.  “Can’t we just lie here and enjoy this for now?  Talk about it later?”

            “No, Sam, she has the right to know!”

            Sam sighed.  “I just think you’re making a very big deal out of something that honestly shouldn’t matter that much!”

            “How can it not matter?!”

            “Because you had no choice!”

            “I had a choice!”

            “No, you didn’t!  You were a baby when it started, and then Azazel kidnapped you! You weren’t given a choice!”

            “Not initially, but afterwards, I...!”

            “Boys!”  Jess was worming her way under the blankets.  “Both of you get under the covers so we can get some sleep when we’re done talking, alright?  Sam, Sammy obviously thinks he’s got something to talk about.  And despite what you’re trying to tell him, whatever it is has you concerned enough that you don’t want to talk about it!”

            Sam sighed as he climbed beneath the covers.

            Sammy climbed under as well.  Jess’s arm slipped under his head and pulled him towards her.  He rolled over, resting his head on her shoulder, knowing without looking that Sam was doing the same.  “Alright,” she called.  “What is it, Sammy?”

            Sammy took a deep breath.  When he started to talk, his voice was so low it was just above a whisper.  “In my universe, you were murdered by a demon, a yellow-eyed Prince of Hell named Azazel. That same demon murdered my mother when I was a baby, but not before feeding me his blood.”

            “That’s horrible,” Jess noted.  Her fingers were gently stroking his hair.

            “What’s worse is why he did it.  He did it to a bunch of kids, and it altered us.  Later in life, it gave us all psychic powers. I could sense when one of them was in danger, among other things.  And eventually, he gathered all of us up and trapped us in a ghost town, where he made us fight each other until only one of us was left alive.  And that one wasn’t me.  M-my brother, Dean, he made a deal with a crossroads demon to bring me back, and condemned his own soul to hell to do it.  Even then, he'd been warned that I would never be the same, and our own father told him that he might have to kill me someday!  But I was alive, and I still had these powers.  Eventually, I was the last of Azazel’s ‘Special Children,’ and even when he was gone, the demons were still after me.  There was one demon, Ruby, who was with me.  And she was teaching me how to be stronger so I could fight the other demons.”  He swallowed, looking up at her.  “Sh-she was feeding me her blood, Jess.  Because when I drank the blood of a demon, it awakened those latent abilities that Azazel first gave me.  I got stronger.  And not just physically stronger.  Everything about me was stronger!  And eventually, my powers reached the point where I could throw things with my mind, or tear demons out of their hosts with just my thoughts.  Jess, I thought I was doing good.  I was saving people!  Even when I learned it was all just to keep changing me, to turn me into the perfect vessel for Lucifer, I believed I was strong enough to fight.”

            Jess said nothing.  Her eyes were wide as she looked down at him, but her fingers still played in his hair.  Sam reached over her and clasped his arm in a silent gesture of support.

            Sammy grimaced.  “Y-you guys, I don’t know if either of you understand what it is I’m telling you!  I got addicted to that blood, and I was fine with that because I honestly believed it made me a better hunter!  I-I even fought with Dean, ran away when he and Bobby tried to lock me up to break my addiction, snuck around behind everyone’s back to get more...  I was a full-fledged addict!  And in the end, my pride, my belief that I was strong, was what broke that final seal and released Lucifer on the world!”

            “Now tell her the rest,” Sam insisted.  “Tell her how you sacrificed yourself, let Lucifer take you and then jumped right into that Cage in Hell to trap him!”

            “Sam, how does that matter?” Sammy challenged. “All I was doing was correcting a horrible mistake that I made in the first place!  I _should_ have been the one to do that!”

            “But it was you that did it!” Jess pointed out. “You’re a hero, Sammy!”

            Sammy groaned.  “You’re still not getting it!  What I did, all the blood that I drank?  It changed me!”  He looked again at Jess.  “Jess, Sam may be me in your universe, but I’m not him in mine.  Because Sam is pure.  I’m not!  My powers went away when I stopped drinking the demon blood, but I’ll always be an addict. And drinking it altered me.  I’m stronger than I should be, not super strong like Cass, but certainly stronger than most humans!  And my mind is powerful enough that I could fight back Lucifer himself long enough to take control and jump into the Cage.  B-but all of that?  It’s because there is a part of me that isn’t human and never will be!” He gave a dry chuckle.  “Ketch called me a monster, back when he caught me at Blake’s ranch.  He called me that because I’m from another universe, but he had no idea just how right he was!  Dean and I say that we hunt monsters.  But it’s not true, Jess!  My brother Dean hunts monsters.  And he does it with another monster at his side!”

            “I know you’re not completely human, Sammy,” Sam sighed.  “I figured it out even before you told me all that, because of what happened when we switched bodies.  The strength I felt when I was in your body, the power?  Part of that came back with me!  The band told me that Adam slept all day after he did that spell.  But for me, I slept the night and was fine by the next morning!”

            “And I felt weaker in your body,” Sammy recalled. “It felt like my mind was duller, too. I felt it even after I returned. So I guess you did take a bit of me with you after all.”

            “Thanks!”

            Sammy snorted.  “I just hope, for your sake, that it’s nothing permanent!”

            “I don’t think so,” Sam replied, suddenly serious. “But never mind me.  You’re the one I worry about, Sammy, because lately, this whole thing has just been eating at you.  And it’s because of Adam, isn’t it?”

            He nodded.  “What’s happening to Adam now?  It’s really been getting to me,” Sammy admitted.  “Because I know what he’s going through!  I know how it feels, to have all this power inside of you that you can’t really control.  And I’m hoping that I can help him if it gets too much, that my experiences can somehow translate into a way to help him.  But Sam, the way I felt in your body?  I didn’t regret it, not for an instant.  Because that’s how I should feel all the time!  And I’d trade again in a heartbeat, except I wouldn’t wish what I am on anyone!”

            “What you are?” Jess called.  “Sammy, based on what you just told me, you’re a victim who was manipulated by forces well outside of your control.  And in this family, we know all about addiction!  Our Dean was a drunk, remember?”

            “And that’s precisely why I can’t judge you, even if you weren’t me,” Sam added.  “I know what addiction does to someone, how it turns them into something they’re not.  It’s something you will never be free from, Sammy.  But it doesn’t make you a monster!  You’re a hero!”

            “A hero?!”  Sammy raised his head to glare at him.  “You know, it’s really obvious that both of you are lawyers!  And I do appreciate the sentiment.  But if you saw what I really was?  If I ever had another drop of demon blood, if you saw what it turns me into?  You would change your mind fast!”

            “Then don’t drink it!”  Jess was pulling him down again, tucking his head back against her shoulder.  “Nothing you have told me tonight has in any way changed my opinion of you, except I respect and admire you even more now.  The things you’ve gone through, they can only make you stronger.  You deserve to be happy, Sammy, as happy as you’ve made me.  So why don’t you stop worrying about the past, and focus on the moment?  Because right now, in this moment?  Everything I want is right here!”

            That quieted Sammy.

            Sam rose up a bit, leaned over, and gently kissed Sammy’s temple.  “I love you, brother,” he said.  “And Sammy, if you find you can’t get back to your own universe, o-or even if you can? I want you to stay with us.”

            “Stay, Sammy,” Jess urged, nodding.

            Sammy squeezed his eyes shut.  “I knew you were going to ask me this, but I can’t believe you’re asking me now!  You want me to stay?  Even after all I told you?  But what about Dean?”

            “I already asked him to stay,” Jess admitted. “You could all stay, even Bobby if he wants!  Leave that life behind, Sammy.  No more hunting, no more demon blood, no more powers.  Start a new life with us!  The three of us here together, raising the kids, with Dean and Castiel nearby and Bobby wherever he wants to be.”

            “I’m a unicorn!  We’re all unicorns!  The monsters...”

            “If monsters come after you, you know how to deal with them,” Sam insisted.  “Show us how and we can help.  We’ve already shown you that we’re capable of taking care of ourselves!  And meanwhile, you could start your life over again.” He clutched at Sammy’s arm, nodding excitedly.  “You could finish school, join me or Jess or go somewhere on your own...  Sammy, the three of us could open our own firm!  If Blake’s serious about keeping me on, we could all move down to Oklahoma near him, start over.  Then we could keep in touch with Sam Farrar and the rest of the band!”  He smiled softly.  “The future’s wide open!  All I want is for you to stay.  Stay with us!”

            Sammy was shaking now.  He wanted, he desperately wanted, what the couple was offering.  He turned his hand so he could clutch at Sam’s arm while Sam still held to his own. “I don’t know!”

            “Then don’t decide now,” Jess soothed.  “Meet the kids tomorrow, take your time, talk to Dean and Castiel and Bobby.  But think about it, Sammy.”

            “We want you to stay,” Sam added.  “You belong here with us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought they jumped into canasta rather fast, but they had been discussing this for a while. Said his heart broke a little when Sammy said he’s a monster. “I don’t think Sammy’s a monster.” Got a sad look when they asked him to stay, but still thinks they should go. Their universe needs them.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Yes, this is really Sammy's story.  
> http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Sam_Winchester/Abilities_and_Weaknesses


	4. The Small Things Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam learns about events back with Blake. Crowley makes him an offer.

 

          Adam listened to his husband as Blake gushed over his angel.  Blake, apparently, had been waiting all day since yesterday for Adam to call.  Now Blake’s excitement was making his accent so strong it was almost difficult to understand.  “I think that Ketch may have literally shit his pants when Cass cut through his angel blade!” the cowboy crowed.

            “A genuine code brown?”

            “It was epic, Adam!  That son of a bitch did not know whether to piss or go blind! You know, I’d been feeling a bit down there, over how easily he kicked my ass.  Even though he’s all trained killer and shit, I kind of hoped I’d have stood a bit longer against him, you know?”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “You’re still all that is man, Blake.”

            “You know it!  But bottom line is, that whole thing was worth it just to see the look on Ketch’s face at that moment.  I’d almost let him have Lawyer Sam again just to see a repeat!”

            “Hey!” the lawyer’s voice protested from somewhere near Blake.

            “Well, I’m glad Castiel was able to get another angel blade,” Adam noted.  “When you said he was back, I was feeling bad because I still have his and frankly no idea how to even use it.”

            “Well, give it to me when you get back then. The one our angel’s got now is new and improved, I guess because it’s from this universe.  He said he was able to summon it when he was back in his true form, before he jumped into Dean.”

            “Nice!  So you guys are back at the shelter?” Adam asked.

            “Yeah, but we only just got there.  Cass overdid it when he burned through that manacle and damned near passed out,” Blake explained.

            Adam frowned.  “That’s odd.  He seemed fine when he did it to save me!  Is he ok?  Should I come get him?”

            “He insists he’s fine,” Blake replied.  “In fact, he healed us, flew us back almost immediately, and then took Sam Squared out to meet with Lawyer Sam’s family.”

            “How’d that go?”

            “A lot better than I thought it would,” Blake admitted.  “Not sure I want to know what went on with meeting the missus, but the kids did really well!  They were a little confused about two versions of their daddy, obviously.  But I guess the little girl took to Hunter Sam like a duck to water, and the younger boy wasn’t far behind.  Lawyer Sam said his oldest boy was a bit shy. But once he sat down and told the kid Hunter Sam wasn’t there to take daddy’s place that helped.  They spent most of the day just getting to know each other, and both of Sam Squared has just been ear to ear grins since they got back! Now everyone’s here again, and we’re all back in this lovely weed-infested field.  I’m surprised there’s even a signal out here!  Lawyer Sam’s got a laptop his firm had delivered to the court house today.  And Rufus thinks he can get a few more maybe-not-entirely-legal laptops so we can keep Sam’s Club up and running.  The more we can dig up on Ketch and the Men of Letters to give to Jess Winchester, the better!  But for now, Lawyer Sam’s working on more legal shit for you and Cass, so I thought I’d call you.”  He paused. “They still want to arrest you, Adam. Sam thinks they’re trying to force you to testify against Cass.”

            “And I’m not doing it!  There is no way in hell I am going to pin all of this on Castiel!”

            “I know.”  Blake’s voice lowered.  “I miss you, baby.  It’s crazy, I know, but I’m still not over being away from you for a month!”

            “I...  I’m sorry, Blake.”  Adam frowned. “I’ll be home soon.  We’re really close to getting something now, though. Do you really need me there?”

            Blake went silent for a moment.  “No, I suppose not,” he said.  His voice sounded somewhat sad, and a little confused. “You guys think you’ll be able to get this whatever-it-is soon, huh?”

            Adam nodded, forgetting Blake couldn’t see him. “Yeah, I think we are.  Blake, you seem upset.  You sure you’re alright?”

            “Sure.”  That answer was a bit too quick.  “I am a bit worried about Dean, though.  Its great to have Cass here safe, but he still hasn’t let Dean out!  He tried, though.  This morning after I had a nice long chat with him about it, he went off somewhere, a few miles away from us so we could barely see him, right?  Idea was, if anything goes wrong, he won’t draw anything straight to us.  So we’re all watching him, and he’s just standing there, and the next thing we know, there’s this huge explosion and a tree’s gone!  Cass came back and said Dean got upset again and couldn’t control his powers, so he had to take over.  And he’s pretty down about it, too, Rockstar.  I get the impression that he really thought it was going to work! Poor guy looked like he wanted to cry!”

            Adam sighed.  “I know what it’s like when you and I fight!”

            “Yeah, but our fights don’t draw attention from avenging angels,” Blake pointed out.  “We ended up putting extra wards all over the building to make sure we were still hidden from the hosts of Heaven after that!”  Blake sighed.  “Obviously, he hasn’t tried it again.  I tried talking to Cass about the whole thing, but all he said was that he’s here to protect us, and that even includes protecting us from Dean, no matter how upset Dean gets about it!  I don’t like it, Rockstar.  I know it’s tearing Cass apart, but Dean’s not being given any choice at all in this!”

            “Castiel is a good guy, Blake,” Adam insisted. “He saved our lives, and don’t forget, he’s in love with Dean!  This whole past month, he’s fought to try to get back to his Righteous Man.  After all they’ve been through, Castiel would never just lock Dean away and risk their relationship unless there was a good reason!”

            “Oh, I got that, it’s just...  Eh, I don’t know.  I’d just feel better if I could talk to Dean, but Cass keeps saying it’s ‘difficult’ and gets moody about it.”  He chuckled, although it sounded forced to Adam’s ears.  “I’ll tell you one thing about that angel, though.  He’s got a very interesting outlook on life.  He watched a video of the press conference Hunter Sam and I did, back when we first came through the portal.  There we were, trying to explain the unexplainable with poor Sammy trying to pretend he’s Lawyer Sam.  And you know what Cass’s big concern was?  ‘Do the reporters think that if they yell louder their question is more likely to be answered?’”  Blake chuckled again, sounding more genuine this time.  “That, and ‘Why do they continue to yell questions even after Sam very clearly said no more questions?’ were all he had to say about it.  And earlier, PJ and James were asking him about Jesus.  Everyone who heard ‘em was holding our breaths, waiting for this huge religious pronouncement, right?  But all Cass did was frown and say, ‘I don’t feel comfortable discussing my Father’s personal life.’  Nipped an entire religious debate in the bud, just like that!  You gotta love it!”

            “Sounds about right.  And don’t worry about Dean.  We just need to figure out where Ketch has Novak’s body so our angel can get back into it, and then Dean will be back to normal.”

            “Well, Rockstar,” Blake drawled, “I gotta say, I’m pretty worried about Dean right about now.”

            “Why?”

            “Because Cass is outside here, and he just started poking into a very large beehive in that hollow tree across the way.  Now, he’s is an angel, so he’s probably fine, but I really hope that Dean’s not allergic to bee stings!”  Blake paused.  “Oh, look at that!  He’s got his whole arm up past the elbow covered in bees now, and...  Oh, hey, Sammy, is it ok for Cass to be doing that?”

            “Doing wha...  _Cass!_   Come on, Cass, get away from those bees!”

            “Well, there he goes, running over,” Blake reported cheerfully.  “Oh, that’s upset the bees!  Cass seems fine, but Hunter Sam looks like he’s just decided to practice his jogging. There he goes, right into the stream!” He chuckled as splashing and swearing sounded in the background.  “What a mess! You sure are missing the excitement around here, Rockstar.”

            “Sounds that way,” Adam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

            “Well, get done with what you’re doing and come home soon,” Blake ordered.  “I miss the hell out of you, and the sooner I see you again, the better.  I love you, baby.”

            “Yeah, love you.  I’ll be home soon.”

            Adam hung up, turned, and there was Crowley right in his face.  “Say, Tats, I couldn’t help but listen in to every single word of your conversation there, and I noticed something.  Before, I would have thought you’d be positively foaming at the mouth for a chance to get back to your precious sexy cowboy.  And yet, when your husband talked about how much he missed you?  You questioned him on it!  You actually asked if Sexy really needed you there now, like it was inconvenient!”

            “Blake isn’t inconvenient!” Adam snapped.  “It’s just that we’re so close now to getting this stupid thing!  I didn’t want to run back unless it was urgent.”

            “And you failed to respond to your husband that you missed him, too,” Crowley pointed out.  “And just now, that ‘Yeah, love you’ you gave him sounded decidedly, well, unloving, at least for what I’ve come to expect from the two of you!”

            Adam looked at him, annoyed.  “Do you have a point, Crowley?”

            Crowley cocked an eyebrow.  “Trouble in paradise, darling?”

            “No, we’re fine, and it’s none of your business anyway!”

            Crowley seemed to study Adam a bit, his eyes calculating.  But he wisely chose to drop the subject.  “At any rate, Sexy’s days of missing you are officially at an end.”

            Adam brightened.  “You got it?”

            In answer, Crowley produced a small glass vial. “Ready to be filled up with gooey Grace!”

            “Great!  Let’s get back, then.”

            “Hold on a moment.”  Crowley slipped an arm around Adam’s waist and started walking, leading the singer away a bit.  “I was wondering,” he began, “have you thought much about your future?”

            “My future?  Well, we’re going to start taping ‘the Voice’ soon, and then I’ll start touring...”

            “No, darling, not your future as an entertainer! Are you really that daft?!”  He drew Adam back behind a building, out of sight from anyone in the street.  “Adam, my lovely lad, I don’t believe you’ve fully considered your own situation! Castiel is back, and clearly has already drained off enough of the archangel’s power that he’s as much, or more, of an angel now than he ever was.  We should check on those wings of yours!”

            Adam checked for any prying eyes.  Then he opened his wings.

            Crowley did a quick check.  “It’s still fairly subtle, but there are more white feathers,” he reported.  “That means your powers are still growing.  And that, in turn, means that Castiel’s got his mojo back, even though you don’t appear to be diminished in the slightest!  Haven’t you thought about what that means for you?”

            “Not really?”  Adam self-consciously folded his wings back and hid them from view.  “I mean, I want this out of me in the worst way, but I get that if Castiel takes his Grace back, it’s curtains for Cassiel! I’m willing to hold out until you’re all ready to go back.”

            Crowley made a face.  “See, that’s the rub.  I’m painfully aware that you’re, shall we say, inexperienced with supernatural matters? So I’ll cue you in.  You see, angels are not endless pits of Grace.  As what’s happening to poor Cassiel painfully illustrates, there’s only so much to go around.  It’s not unlike human blood.  They can replenish it, but they can absolutely be drained to death.  It’s precisely what stabbing them with an Enochian blade does.”

            “I’m aware.”

            “But are you also aware that the opposite is true?” Crowley pressed.  “One angel can only hold so much Grace!  And if our dear Cassie has already drained off enough that he could burn through an Enochian manacle?  Well, that’s bad news for you!”

            Adam looked at him sharply.  “What do you mean?”

            “What I mean, my dear lovely lad, is that Castiel can only hold so much Grace,” Crowley explained.  He’d stepped around to face Adam, looking serious.  “Even if he graduates to an archangel, if he drains Cassiel completely, then he cannot also take on what he put into you.  Which means your, um, situation?  Could very well become permanent!”

            And now Adam forgot to breathe.  “No, that’s bullshit, Crowley!  As soon as he can, Castiel will take this out of me!  He promised!”

            “He may not have a choice in the matter.  If he becomes an archangel, then his tanks, so to speak, will be topped by what he gets from Cassiel.  He simply will not have the capacity to take back all that he gave to you, especially not the way it continues to grow inside of you!  And that is why I asked you if you’ve considered your future.”  Crowley took Adam’s shoulders and looked him in the eye.  “You’re powerful, Adam.  You’re no match for an archangel, but you’re more than capable of trouncing most demons!” The demon’s hands tightened slightly on Adam’s shoulders.  “If you and I combined forces?  What a pair we could make!”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Yeah, right until you went back to your own universe!”

            “That’s assuming I go.”  Releasing Adam’s shoulders, Crowley put his arm around the singer’s waist again and once more started walking with him.  “I worked very hard to secure my place in Hell.  But I stepped on a lot of people to get to my throne. I’m tired of constantly looking over my shoulder.  And the truth is, I keep running into some issues with opening that portal.  As difficult as it was to get a container for Grace, there’s another component to that hex bag that I suspect will be even harder to obtain.  Had I my resources in my own world, I’m sure I could manage.  But here?”  He sighed. “I’m afraid it’s possible that we may be seeing a lot of each other!”

            “So you’re stuck here?!”

            “That is possible.”  Crowley glanced speculatively at Adam.  “And that is why I always try to look for a back-up plan! You see, Lovely, I originally told Moose and Squirrel that I wanted to come here, specifically to get away from them. Now, I’m possibly stuck here with those denim-wrapped nightmares!  But maybe I can salvage something after all.”  He indicated Adam.  “With you at my side, I can create a new kingdom for myself right here!  Come with me, and I’ll repay you by shielding you.”

            Adam cocked an eyebrow.  “Shielding me from what?”

            “The hosts of Heaven, of course.  Eventually, this business between the Cassie twins will be resolved, one way or another.  Then the hosts of Heaven will collect whichever of them remains.  But where does that leave you, darling?  Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what you are to those haloed tossers!”

            “No, I didn’t forget, I...”  Adam shook his head.  “You know what?  Why are we even having this conversation?  We’re going to find a way to get everyone back where we belong, Castiel’s going to take his Grace out of me, and then you can go back to Hell and rot! 

            “Spoken like someone who has spent way too much time around angels.”  Crowley’s arm tightened even more, the demon leaning forward and lowering his voice. “Adam, my lovely, you should perhaps speak with your husband about the wisdom of believing too much in angels!  Your precious Castiel has a long, celebrated history of one horrific failure after another.  He has done more to reduce his own kind than every demon in Hell combined! And what have the angels done for you here, hmm?  The instant they see you, they’ll be hurling lightning bolts at you!  I can help you!”

            “How?  You’re a demon!  You can’t stand against angels!”

            “Not on my own, no,” Crowley admitted.  “But don’t underestimate me.  Give me a chance, Lovely, and let me show you what it is I can do for you!”

            Adam frowned, troubled.  He didn’t want to believe a word that Crowley had said, but his words had an uncomfortable ring of truth.  What if he was right?  What would Adam do if Castiel couldn’t take back all of the Grace he’d given him? Where would Adam turn then?

            Then Crowley’s expression changed.  “Don’t worry,” he said softly.  “I couldn’t let anything happen to someone as exquisite as you!”  He reached up almost absently with one hand and gently brushed Adam’s cheek.

            Adam’s thoughts instantly cleared.  “Quit it!  Take your hands off of me, Crowley!”  Adam quickly pulled free, glowering at the demon.  “You’re lucky I don’t just bounce you the whole way back! We’re going home, and Castiel can tell you himself that he’s going to take this out of me, just as soon as it’s safe! Come on, let’s go talk to him right now!”

            “And see your husband, of course?” Crowley reminded. He gave Adam a sly smirk.

            Adam blinked, and then flushed.  “Yes, to see Blake, too!  He misses me.”

            “And you miss him?”

            “I...  Of course I do!” Adam sputtered.  “You know what?  Fuck you! Keep your mouth shut about Blake, and keep your hands off of me!  I know what you did to Dean, you piece of shit!  You lost him for good now, and you sure as hell aren’t replacing him with me!”

            Crowley shrugged.  “As you wish.  Just think about it.  I can help you, Adam.  We can help each other.”

            Adam’s skin was crawling.  “Ok, we have officially spent too much time together.  Let’s just get back!”  Grabbing the demon by the arm, Adam promptly whisked them both back.  He intentionally made the landing as jarring as possible. The angry cursing of the demon brought a smile to his face.

            “I was quite capable of coming back on my own, ta very much!” Crowley grumbled.

            “I know, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get lost.”

            Crowley sniffed at him, straightening his jacket. Then he went storming inside. Adam grinned and followed.

            He ran right into the demon’s back.  Crowley had stopped, frozen, just inside the door. Adam looked up, and immediately understood why.  Castiel was standing just across the room, staring back.

            Adam had become used to Crowley.  The hideous, twisted visage of the demon was now as familiar as it was terrifying.  But this was the first time Adam had really seen an angel.  When he’d left Castiel before, his angel certainly hadn’t registered to Adam’s new senses as human.  But he’d torn out so much of his Grace to put into Adam that he’d read as little more than a human shining with light.  Now he was different.  The angel’s true appearance was, in its own way, every bit as terrifying as Crowley’s. But at the same time, it was beautiful, powerful and majestic.  The massive being was somehow compressed into the human vessel, overflowing it until the body blazed with light to Adam’s senses.  He had three sets of wings, although two were somehow folded around him, and four faces that Adam couldn’t quite see behind the mask of the human vessel. No one would ever mistake his angel for anything even remotely resembling human.  Yet Castiel was, in Adam’s eyes, the most frightening, most amazing, and most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.  Wonder swallowed words.  For a moment, all Adam could do was stand and stare.

            But then the angel subtly changed.  The being within the human vessel shifted, moved forward and allowed more of its true self to show, light shining through the human eyes that fixed on the doorway.  _“Abomination!”_ he hissed.

            Everyone immediately froze.

            “Oh,  _shit!_ ”

            “Didn’t anyone tell Castiel that Crowley was here?!”

            “I think maybe we missed that one little detail!”

            “Dude, our angel is _pissed!_ ”

            “Oh, I know a demon that is about to get his ass kicked!”

            “Serves him right, after what he did to him and Dean and the rest of the Unicorn Gang!”

            “Go get him, Cass!”

            “Bastard’s got it coming!”

            “He’ll kill him, you idjits!” Bobby yelled, desperately pushing past the enrapt members of Adam’s band to try to reach Cass. “We need him for the spell!  Cass, wait!”

            But the angel paid no attention.  He charged forward.

            Adam swore and quickly shoved Crowley aside. “Castiel, wait!  He’s...”

            But Castiel made no move on the cringing, terrified King of Hell.  He struck Adam instead.

            It felt like being hit by a speeding train. The blow sent Adam smashing through part of the door frame and tumbling like a blown leaf to slide to a painful halt on the ground.  If he’d still been human, Adam had no doubt it would have easily shattered every bone in his body.  As it was, he was rocked by the blow.  For a moment he lay as he was, stunned, trying to remember how to breathe as his murderous angel stomped forward, his bowlegged gait rapidly closing the distance between them.

            The rays of the sun gleamed off of the golden blade in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun had noted that Adam was acting oddly towards Blake. Started yelling “It’s a trap!” and “That’s what he told the boys, and look how well that turned out!” when Crowley started talking about joining forces. Laughed about Adam’s landing. His jaw dropped when Cass said “Abomination” because he knew he was talking about Adam, not Crowley! Has multiple theories about why, exactly, this just happened.
> 
> ...What? You said you wanted more angel violence!


	5. The White-Winged Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight is on to save Adam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my absolute pleasure to bring you Nutcracker's incredible manip. Way to go, girlfriend! You blew me away!
> 
> I wrote this scene to "This Means War" by Nickleback:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQSxMzl0ylM&frags=pl%2Cwn

         Blake’s universe ground to a crashing halt and then narrowed, becoming nothing more than the stunned, battered figure of his husband lying helpless on the ground. Adam was moving, but he was obviously hurt.  He wasn’t getting up.  Adam was trying to raise himself up and failing, he was falling back to the ground. And the angel, Castiel was coming closer, spinning his golden blade in his hand so the blade pointed down, raising it up, about to bring it down and spill the one life that meant far more to Blake than his own.  A scream of negation tore at Blake’s throat.  He struggled free of the clinging hands, charging for the broken door knowing he was too slow, too late...

         A figure in black appeared, gathering Adam up and then vanishing.  And suddenly Adam was here, just behind everyone, still looking dazed as he dangled from Crowley’s arms.  “Hold him!” the demon barked, shoving Adam at Blake.

         Blake eagerly accepted Adam, holding him tight and turning so that his body shielded Adam slightly.  He quickly found Adam’s angel blade.  Castiel’s could likely slice through it as easily as it had with Ketch, and Blake couldn’t imagine himself stabbing the angel who had repeatedly saved them.  But it felt better to at least have the weapon. “Someone tell me what the Hell is going on!”

         “I don’t know!”  Hunter Sam, Blake was glad to see, was up with Bobby and Rufus, watching the figure outside.  “Just keep him there until we figure this out!”

         Castiel had turned around.  Furious blazing eyes were fixed on the King of Hell, who had stepped forward and stood just outside the broken door.  The angel’s lips curled back into a snarl.  “You?” he spat.  “You dare to stand against me?!”

         “Back off, champ!”  Crowley reached up and tore open his own shirt like Superman.  Then he held one hand in a threatening manner over his chest. “One more step, and I will blast you to the fucking _moon!”_

         The angel froze.  “You’ll kill him if you do!”

         “How is that any different from what you’re about to do, except that my way will be far more entertaining for me and decidedly inconvenient for you?” Crowley challenged.  “Now back! Off!”

         Frowning, Castiel backed up.  “I mean no harm to any of you!” he called.  “But I cannot suffer that creature to survive!  I’m trying to protect you!”

         “Castiel, what the fuck?!” PJ exclaimed.  He’d come to the door and was staring, bewildered, at the determined angel. “What are you doing, cat?!  That’s  _Adam!”_

__

         “PJ, get back inside the wards so we can talk without him listening in!” Crowley hurriedly pushed the shocked keyboardist back and turned to the group.  “He’s right,” Crowley hissed.  He indicated the mark branded onto his chest.  “I decided to keep this, for reasons that may have just been made extremely clear.  But if I use it, it will affect them both!  Being banished is enough to stun even an angel.  Especially now that he’s hurt, Adam won’t survive it!  And eventually, that freckle-faced destructor out there is going to call my bluff!”  His eyes moved, looking to Sam’s Club.  “Come on, you clever gits, think of something!  We need a way to protect Adam!”

         Blake was astonished.  He had no idea why Crowley was trying to save Adam, but he wasn’t about to question his good fortune.

         Meanwhile, PJ was beside himself.  “Why?!” he exclaimed.  “Why would our angel attack Adam?!”

         “Oh for...!  I am surrounded by idiots!”  Crowley facepalmed and then turned to Rufus.  “My dear Mr. Turner, are things really so different in your universe?  Or have none of you any eyes?!  Do you not see what our fine feathered friend outside is carrying?!”

         Rufus looked.  Then he turned to look hard at Blake.  “Blake, you said Cass had a new blade?”

         Blake nodded.  “Yeah, and he said it was stronger because it’s from this universe!”

         “Did he actually say that?” Rufus challenged.  “Did he say that his weapon was stronger because it’s from this universe?”

         Blake shook his head.  “No, I guess I came up with that, but he didn’t correct me!”

         “How can you all be so bloody daft?!” Crowley hissed.  “Just _look_ at that thing!  Did you think nothing of the fact that the blade twists?  Did you not notice the golden color, or did you perhaps just think he’d gotten his weapon bronzed?!  That, gentlemen, is most assuredly _not_ an angel blade!  And in my universe, there is only one thing that can wield a weapon like that!”

         Blake’s attention had been fixed primarily on Adam.  Adam was recovering.  He was standing upright now, where before he’d been leaning heavily on Blake.  But now Blake looked the hunters, and his heart sank.  Rufus, Bobby, and Hunter Sam were deathly pale.  Their eyes were wide and full of fear as they looked at each other. “What is it?” Blake demanded. “What’s wrong with Castiel?!”

         “For fuck’s sake!” Crowley roared.  “Don’t you understand?!  It’s close, much like the moose twins there, but it’s obvious to anyone who can really see him that _this isn’t Castiel!”_

         “That’s an archangel blade he’s got,” Rufus managed.  “It’s one of the few things that can kill something that powerful. And only an archangel can wield it!” He turned frightened eyes towards the pacing figure outside.  “That’s not an angel, it’s an archangel!  And if he’s that close to your Castiel, then there’s only one archangel it could be! It’s Cassiel!”

         “Cassiel?!”  Blake looked outside.

         The archangel was still there.  His eyes still blazed as they peered towards the shelter.  “I’m sorry I deceived you!” he called.  “My brother called out to me, asked me to protect you, and that’s why I came. But when I met you, you believed I was him, and you welcomed me so warmly!  I found I wanted to stay!  I only wanted to know you, to be part of your group.  Your friendship and comradery, the affection you’ve all shown me?  I can’t tell you how much it means!  So I spoke with my generals, told them I was staying.  I’ll be your guardian, your protector, just as Castiel asked!  I’ll do whatever it takes!”  He extended a hand.  “Please don’t be afraid.  I’m only trying to protect you!  I knew my brother had torn out his Grace, but I never guessed he’d put it into a human vessel!  Castiel should have known better!  That isn’t your friend, not anymore!  What’s inside of him never should have been, and it’s changing him, turning him into something even more unnatural than he already is!  But at least now, when I destroy him, I will no longer be drained. I will protect you to your dying day!”

         “We don’t want your protection, you piece of shit!” Blake snapped.

         “Shelton?” Crowley hissed through clenched teeth.  “Please do not upset the ultrapowerful murder machine!”

         “He’s weak!” Lawyer Sam remembered.  “After he burned through the Enochian manacle, he barely had the strength to fight Ketch and his men!”

         “But now he’s standing in close proximity to someone who is steadily producing the exact same power he himself uses!” Crowley pointed out.  “I assure you, he will have more than enough power to destroy Adam, and anyone who gets in his way!”

         “Cassiel!” PJ called desperately.  “You can’t hurt Adam!  That’s our friend!”

         Cassiel shook his head, looking upset.  “I’m sorry.  I know he means a great deal to you, but that is no longer Adam Levine, and he _must_ be destroyed!”

         “Over my dead body!” Blake roared.

         Cassiel seemed to flinch.  “No, Blake,” he told the singer.  “You mean too much to me!  Even if you let yourself die to protect him, I will resurrect you.  You’ll mourn for your husband, and you’ll go on.  And I will always watch over you, but I am no longer content to simply watch!”  A gentle smile spread over his lips.  He spread his arms towards the people in the shelter, as though inviting them in for a hug. “I’ll keep you safe, all of you! I’ll get you all through this pain, my friends.  I can take it away, shoulder it for you, and we’ll be happy again.  I promise!  Just let me do what must be done.  You have my word that I will be quick and won’t prolong his suffering!”

         “Crazy son of a bitch!”  Blake held Adam so tightly he would have hurt the smaller man if Adam had been simply a human.  He looked pleadingly at the hunters.  “You guys deal with supernatural shit for a living!  Someone think of something, because we can’t just let this fucker kill Adam!”

         “Holy oil!” Bobby said.  “We can’t kill this thing, and we can’t banish it without taking out Adam.  But we can trap it!  A circle of burning holy oil can even hold an archangel!  Rufus, you put everything else in this blasted shelter, tell me you have holy oil!”

         The FBI agent was wild-eyed.  “I... Maybe?”  He swallowed hard.  “If I’ve got it, it’s in the stores downstairs.”

         “Then we gotta find it!”  Hunter Sam turned towards the terrified band.  “You guys, we need to get down into the stores and find this holy oil. Then we gotta somehow get Cassiel into a circle of it and light it up.  That’s the only way we can trap him!”

         “How the hell are we going to do that?!” Matt wanted to know. 

         “And what happens if we do trap him?” James asked.  “If that’s really Cassiel, and he’s really that tough?  Then we got nothing!  Soon as the oil burns away, he’ll be right back on our asses!”

         “Cross that bridge when we come to it!” Crowley snapped.  “Job one, get this bastard locked down!  How the hell are we going to do that?”

         “There’s got to be something he wants,” Farrar urged.  “He’s actually weirdly calm out there.  That means we can reason with him, right?  What would an archangel want?”

         “Us!” Lawyer Sam’s eyes moved over the group. “He wants us, this group!  Didn’t you hear him out there?  Cassiel lost his version of Dean, and if he’s Castiel, then my Dean was his soulmate.  That’s probably why he took Sammy’s Dean!  I suspect he did it so he could have Dean to himself and go to work on him, try to convince Dean to let Castiel go and accept him.  And that’s also why he won’t let Dean out, because Dean is refusing to accept him!  Believe me, I get that.  But Castiel, he’s got so much more than Dean!  He’s got _us!_   Being with us, letting us believe he was Castiel, made Cassiel happy. He’s an archangel, so he’s used to being feared and obeyed, but what about friendship?  I’m thinking he’s never had that until he came to be with us. Right now, he sees Adam as a threat to that.  B-but the thing is, he’s still Castiel, this world’s version of Castiel, and for the most part, he acts just like him!  That means Cassiel probably doesn’t understand human social rules any more than Castiel did!  He doesn’t understand that we’ll hate him for this!  He honestly believes that, once he destroys Adam, he can come back to us, use that angel valium he’s got to help us mourn, and we’ll all just accept him!”

         “Then we gotta tell him,” PJ vowed.  “I’ll go out there, and...”

         “And he’ll strike you down!” Crowley predicted.  “He’ll strike down every single man in this building the instant he believes any of you will try to stop him, because as long as he’s around, _death is not permanent!_   And of course, I’m the most buggered son, aren’t I?  I’ve already stood against him!  As soon as he decides I won’t carry through on my threat, the bow-legged bastard will smite me clear out into the Andromeda galaxy with nary a thought!”  He pinched the bridge of his nose.  “I always believed Dean Winchester would be the death of me.  I just never imagined it would happen like this!”

         “Let me talk to him.”

         It was Adam who had spoken.  Blake tightened his arms around his husband as Adam tried to squirm free.  “Rockstar, you can’t!” Blake urged.  “You go out there, that archangel’s gonna have you for sure!”

         “He’s going to have me no matter what,” Adam said calmly.  “Let go of me, Blake.”

         “Adam, what are you thinking?!” Jesse exclaimed, grabbing his friend’s arm. “This is suicide!”

         “I’m thinking that someone needs to tell him he’s making a mistake, and I think Crowley’s right,” Adam explained.  “I think he’ll kill anyone else who stands against him and just resurrect them afterwards. And there’s no point in that! Just let me go out there, try to talk to him.  Then whatever happens, happens.”

         “Don’t be a fool, Adam!” Crowley hissed.

         Blake wasn’t listening.  He’d tightened his arms around Adam, lifting the smaller man completely off of his feet. “No!  _No!_   I won’t let you go out there and get killed, I won’t!”  He looked frantically at the solemn hunters. “You guys, there’s got to be a way to save him!  What if we put that holy oil shit around Adam?”

         “Adam’s close enough to an angel that he could be banished.  That means the holy oil would trap him, too.  He’d be trapped until the oil burned off, and Cassiel would destroy him anyway,” Bobby replied.  The old hunter looked shaken.  He glanced towards Rufus hopefully.

         But Rufus was shaking his head.  “I’m sorry, Blake.  If Cassiel wants to kill Adam, there’s nothing we can do.”

         “Bullshit!  Adam, baby, stop struggling, I’m not letting you go out there!”

         “Blake? Jesse?  Let me go.”

         Jesse obeyed with obvious reluctance.  Blake held on, but now Adam was using his angel strength, easily prying Blake’s desperate grip away and pushing Blake back towards his somber band. Blake screamed, fighting to reach Adam again.  “Adam! I love you!  I love you, please don’t do this!”

         Adam cocked his head to one side, seeming to study Blake.  “I love you, too.”  The hazel eyes moved to the band.  “Don’t let him go out.”

         “We got him, but this is nuts!”

         “Adam!”

         “Dude, it’s suicide!”

         “There’s got to be another way!”

         “Come on, you guys are monster hunters!” James exclaimed.  His eyes were roving over the three hunters even as he helped hold Blake.  “You just going to let Adam do this?!”

         The three looked at each other, and then looked down.  “There’s nothing we can do, boys,” Bobby said.  “I’d give anything for another choice!”

         “Right now, we need to find that holy oil, try to get Cassiel contained,” Rufus said. “Regardless of what happens here...”

         _“No!”_   Blake, seeing his husband starting out the door, lunged forward, twisting free from the band.  His fingertips brushed Adam’s shirt, trying to catch hold.  But strong arms wrapped around him, lifting the big cowboy off of his feet.

         “Stop, Blake!” Hunter Sam grunted.  “You can’t save him, and you’ll only get yourself killed!  Sam, help me!  The rest of you, find that oil!”

         The group went racing towards the underground storage.  But Blake had eyes only for Adam.

         Adam was approaching Cassiel, holding up a hand.  “Cassiel!” he called.  “Will you talk to me?”

         The archangel cocked his head.  “I have nothing to say to you.  Move away from my friends!”

         “I’m going!  But listen to me, ok?  I...”

         Cassiel never moved, but Adam went sailing through the air once again, tumbling head over heels to land in a heap in the dirt.

         This time, though, Adam seemed to have been prepared.  He swore, quickly getting to his feet.  Now he too had blazing eyes.  The shadowy black wings opened on his back, the scattered white feathers more prominent in the dimming light.  Ahead, the sky was suddenly, rapidly filling with dark storm clouds. Thunder rumbled as Cassiel approached. The archangel crouched slightly, narrowing his glowing eyes at Adam as misty white wings opened on his back in a show of aggression.  “What do you want?  I’ll not prolong the pain of my friends!  Speak your piece so we can be done with this!”

         “Cassiel, I have nothing against you,” Adam began.  “Castiel did this to me, gave me his Grace, specifically to try to stop what was happening to you!  He called me a Righteous Man because I was willing to suffer through this to help the two of you.  Yeah,” he said, seeing the archangel flinch.  “That means something to you!  And you’re inside of another Righteous Man now.  Can you talk to him, Cassiel?  Find out how he’d feel, if you use him to kill me?  Because that’s how all of them are going to feel!”  Adam pointed towards the shelter.  “All those men you call your friends?  You can’t just kill me and expect them to accept you because it won’t ever happen, Cassiel.  Humans aren’t built that way!  If you kill me, the only thing that’s going to happen is that you’ll doom Castiel, terrify my friends, and alienate Dean forever!”

         The archangel cocked his head.  “Why would that be, when I’m doing this for them?  I don’t understand!”

         “I know you don’t!  And there’s something else you don’t understand.  What you want, the affection everyone gave you when we thought you were our angel?  That’s something Castiel _earned,_ ok?  He watched over and protected us, and we got to know him and we all liked what we got to know!  By the time everyone figured out he was an angel, we already knew we had nothing to fear from him.  But you? You’re about to smite me!  The people back in that shelter don’t know you, Cassiel!  And now the only thing they’re seeing from you is that you’re a killer!”

         “Castiel killed!”

         “To protect us, me and my friends!”

         “I _am_ protecting them!  They have no idea what you are.  I doubt even you know, do you?  And it will only get worse!  This can’t continue,” he declared as the wind suddenly rose.  Overhead, the sky had grown dark, filled with churning black clouds when earlier it had been all but clear.  “I’m sorry, Adam.  This isn’t your fault, or your idea.  You did it out of a genuine desire to help.  You are indeed a Righteous Man.  Your soul will find peace in Heaven.  But you must be destroyed!”

         Blake fought with all his strength, screaming his husband’s name over and over. But Adam never looked over.  He simply crouched down, covering his head with his arms and his wings, and braced for the blow.

         Cassiel gestured, and the sky opened.  A column of light flashed down, striking the spot where Adam crouched. Blinded, Blake screamed again. But the sound was lost in the noise, a crack of thunder, a deep rumbling as the ground shook, and the telltale sound of falling glass as every window shattered.  Then silence, broken only by the blaring of alarms from the damaged shelter and the rattled vehicles.

         Sam Squared lost their footing and fell, and Blake was finally able to squirm free.  He quickly got up, looking out.

         Smoke and steam billowed out of a crater where his husband had once stood. And the white-winged angel was on his hands and knees.  Cassiel panted, looked up, and saw Blake.  He grimaced.  “Blake. Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry!”

         Blake didn’t respond.  He managed to take a few steps forward, heading towards the crater.  “No,” he moaned.  “No!  _No!”_

__

         Cassiel had staggered to his feet.  He stumbled forwards, reached Blake, and pulled the devastated cowboy into his arms. “I know it hurts,” the archangel soothed, wrapping his wings around Blake.  “You loved him.  I’m here, Blake.  Let me take your pain!”

         The angel valium.  It was stronger than any drug Blake could imagine, completely numbing his pain. For a moment he leaned against Cassiel, resting the side of his face against the archangel’s head, letting his tears soak into Cassiel’s short hair as the wings wrapped him like a gentle, comforting blanket.  But then Blake realized what he was doing.  “No!”  He brought up his arms, pushing hard against the surprised archangel.  “No, take your fucking hands off of me, you monster! You killed him!  You murdered my Rockstar, get the fuck off of me!”

         The green eyes blinked, his head tilted to the side as he frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand!  Blake, I know you’re angry, but you don’t have to feel this pain!  I can help you.  Let me take it away!”

         Even without touch, the archangel’s power was working on Blake.  But Blake fought it, clinging to his pain, forcing himself to feel the unbearable grief.  “My pain?  It’s all I have left of Adam now!  You’re not taking that too, you son of a bitch!”

         The archangel frowned.  Then he shook his head.  “It’s alright, Blake,” he soothed, reaching for the singer.  “I can help you!”

         Blake quickly backed away.  “Don’t touch me!”

         “I won’t hurt you.”  The archangel was coming after Blake, a gentle smile on his face.  “The hosts of Heaven will be coming to investigate soon, so we must leave.  I’ll take you first, heal your pain, and then return for the others.  It will be alright.  I promise!”

         Blake scrambled back.  “No! Leave me alone!”

         “Cassiel!  Get away from him!”

         From the billowing smoke of the crater a figure was emerging.  Adam stepped over the edge, his angry glowing eyes fixed on Cassiel.  He looked a bit battered and was swaying on his feet.  But he was alive.  His wings appeared to be shimmering, individual black feathers changing to white. By now, over a third of his feathers were white.  They beat, raising Adam up into the air.  Then they came down once more, and Adam shot forward, slamming hard into the shocked archangel.

         The two flew across the field, smashed through a small tree, and kept going, grappling furiously with each other even as they rolled to a stop.  Blake spotted a gleam and raced towards it.  The golden archangel blade was lying on the ground where Cassiel had fallen after smiting Adam.  Hope soared.  Cassiel hadn’t been able to kill Adam with his powers, and now he’d lost his blade. Adam might stand a chance after all! Snatching up the weapon, Blake turned towards the fighting pair.  _“Get him, Rockstar!”_ he roared.  _“Kick his holy ass!”_

         Adam seemed determined to do exactly that.  He’d managed to straddle Cassiel and was raining blows down into the archangel’s face.  Cassiel brought a hand sharply up, catching Adam under his chin.  Adam shot straight up into the air.  At the peak of his arch, Cassiel leapt after him.  Hooking an arm around the singer’s waist, he jerked hard, vastly increasing Adam’s momentum towards the ground.  But at the last second, Adam twisted around, managing to get above Cassiel.  The archangel hit the ground with an impact that caused an already-battered storage shed to collapse, Adam on top of him.  Adam was flailing away again, taking advantage of Cassiel’s momentary weakness to land blow after blow.  And then once again, he went tumbling over the ground as Cassiel threw him aside.

         Blake immediately started towards him, but Cassiel’s white wings beat, the archangel launching himself after Adam.  He dove on Adam as the smaller man tried to get up and immediately attacked. Adam twisted around, raising his hands towards Cassiel.  There was a flash and Cassiel flew backwards.  The archangel’s boots dug into the ground as he slid to a stop. Now they were both up, facing each other.  They lunged towards each other, grappling together, their wings arched up behind them for added stability.  Power blazed around them, and again, Blake saw that shimmering in Adam’s wings, more and more of the black feathers changing to white.  Over half of Adam’s wings were white now, and before Blake’s eyes, Cassiel stumbled and nearly went down.  The archangel gasped, there was another flash, and Adam’s feet were swept out from under him.

         Adam hit the ground with a grunt.  Cassiel dove on top of him, one hand pinning Adam down.  The other he drew back.  He drove it down, striking Adam again and again, moving with unnatural speed to batter the singer.  Adam cried out in pain.  He held up his arms, trying to block, but Cassiel simply shifted his strikes, pounding into Adam’s body.  Adam’s struggles were growing weaker.  Both fighters were cut, bruised, and bleeding, but it was clear that Adam was getting the worst of it.  Adam was still new to his powers.  He was no match for the strength, the skill, and the power of an archangel.  And now he was taking blow after blow, his hands falling to his sides, beaten too badly to even try to protect himself.

         Adam couldn’t defeat Cassiel, Blake realized.  He was being beaten to death right before Blake’s eyes.  Despite everything, his sweet Rockstar was going to die.

         Blake had no idea how he got there.  He lowered his shoulder as he charged forward, slamming hard into Cassiel, knocking the surprised archangel off of his husband.  Then Blake threw himself over Adam.  “No!” he screamed.  “Please, for the love of God, stop!  Don’t kill him, I’m begging you, please!”

         Cassiel narrowed his eyes and sighed.  He extended his glowing hand towards Blake, and Blake braced, expecting to die.  But a pair of matching blurs slammed into Cassiel, Sam Squared pouncing on the archangel and once again knocking him down.

         “Cassiel, stop!”

         “You can’t kill Adam, you’ll only end up destroying yourself!”

         Cassiel moved quickly.  He waved an arm, and the two men flew back.  But after that, Blake could barely see.  He was at the bottom of a dog pile.  Most of the band had apparently elected to jump on top of him as he lay on his husband. PJ was standing in front of the pile, arms outstretched to try to protect his friends.  And meanwhile, Sam Squared was after Cassiel again, each grabbing one of the archangel’s arms, pleading with him to stop.  Beneath Blake, Adam moaned in pain, the weight of the people desperately trying to protect him aggravating his injuries. But there was nothing Blake could do for him.

         Cassiel got up and grabbed the two Sams.  His eyes blazed.  “I’m sorry, my friends.  I’ll return you as soon as this is over.”

         “Stop, Cassiel!” Blake pleaded, still trying to protect his groaning husband. “If you make Dean kill his brothers, he’ll never forgive you, not even if you bring them back!”

         “Then why do they make me do this?!” Cassiel exclaimed.  “I’ve already protected my Righteous Man, so he can’t see or hear what happens here.  But if you continue, I’ll be forced to kill you all!”

         “Wait!”

         Sam Farrar had run over carrying, of all things, a book.  “Soulmates!” he yelled, his eyes locked on Sam Squared.  “This is the book where I found the information about soulmates!  And Cassiel was right, some souls can have more than one.  Dean really is your soulmate, and since you’re two versions of the same guy, he’s the soulmate to _both_ of you!  And nothing can come between soulmates, not even another reality!”  His blue eyes flashed at Cassiel.  “Certainly not an archangel!”

         Sam Squared had been struggling wildly to break free.  But now they were both in the archangel’s face.

         “Dean! You gotta fight him!”

         “We’re here, Dean!”

         “Take control, the way I did for you when Lucifer had me!”

         “Please, Dean!  You’re the only one who can save us now!”

         Cassiel looked astonished.  Then his face twisted into a grimace.  Releasing the two, his hands clenched into fists, his body bent with effort. “S-Sammy!  It’s not Cass, get him out of me!”

         “We know!  I’m here, Dean, we’re both here!”

         “Come on, Dean!  Fight it! Take control!”

         The rest of the band was up, helping Blake to his feet.  Blake scooped up Adam into a bridal carry and started running with him, moving him well away from the archangel.  His beautiful Rockstar was barely recognizable.  His face had been beaten to a swollen, bloody mess, his eyes were half closed, and he hung limply in Blake’s arms, whimpering in pain.  Blake didn’t know where he could touch Adam without hurting him.  He settled for gently stroking his hair.  “Hang on, baby!” he urged, planting a kiss on Adam’s forehead.  “I swear I won’t let him hurt you again!”

         The bleary hazel eyes seemed to focus on Blake.  Then they closed.  Adam let his head rest against Blake’s shoulder, and his body went limp.

         The rest of the anxious band hovered near them, looking back as Sam Squared continued to plead with Dean.  And Farrar, Blake was proud to see, was still with Sam Squared, his book on the ground, crouched and ready to grab the two in case of trouble. 

         Bobby and Rufus had moved behind the archangel and were pouring something in a circle on the ground.  “Now, boys!” Bobby yelled.

         The two Sams set themselves and shoved the figure of their brother, sending him stumbling backwards.  Dean went, a smile of relief on his face as he let himself fall to the ground.

         Crowley appeared from nowhere, clicking his fingers towards the circle of oil. The flames instantly rose up, surrounding the archangel in a circle of fire.

         Cassiel froze.  He turned around, seeing the trap he was in.  Then he turned and stared in disbelief at the group.  “Why?” he asked quietly.  “Why have you trapped me?  I don’t understand!  I only wanted to protect you!  I would have done anything, but you are all against me!  Why?  Why do you reject me?!”

         In his arms, Adam made a small noise.  Blake let him down on the ground, keeping him close to his chest.  “Adam?” he called.  “Talk to me, baby!  You ok?”

         Adam only groaned.  The battered singer seemed to be struggling to stay awake.

         And then Crowley was there.  “There now, lovely,” he soothed, reaching for Adam’s face.  “Let’s mend that pretty face of yours, shall we?”

         Blake hadn’t known a demon could heal.  He supposed it made sense.  And for the first time, he found himself smiling gratefully at the King of Hell when Adam’s lovely features were restored.

         Adam blinked, looking like he’d just awakened from a deep slumber and was still sleepy.  He turned his head, looking at Crowley, who smiled back at him.  “Better now,” the demon announced, getting up.  “You see?  I told you not to underestimate what I can do for you!”

         Adam frowned.  “C-Crowley?” Then he looked and saw Cassiel, and his body stiffened.

         Blake cradled Adam close.  “Shhh, it’s ok,” he soothed.  “It’s over, Rockstar.  You’re safe now.”  Blake kissed him, breathing a silent prayer of thanks as he glanced towards the trapped archangel.

         Within the circle of flames, Cassiel wordlessly looked back. Blake had no idea if the pain in his green eyes belonged to the archangel, or the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tem - ****GOLD STAR!****
> 
> Mr. Fun says the battle was awesome, and that picture...! He just stared at it for a while, and said it really sets that battle! Liked how everyone played their role. Says he had a feeling it was Cassiel, rather than Castiel. Knew there was something up, especially since the “abomination” thing, but until then he didn’t guess it was Cassiel.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Supernatural’s archangels are extremely powerful, capable of near-godlike feats. Here’s a clip where Dean and Castiel confront the archangel Raphael as part of Castiel’s quest to find God:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyfbkfSHn6Q
> 
> This is a picture of an archangel blade (modeled by Asmodeus, another Prince of Hell):
> 
> https://goo.gl/images/4QDekU


	6. Prince of Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The archangel Cassiel, Prince of Heaven, is well suited to the life he leads until the day he meets a certain bright soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd used this song as the main theme for the main character in my novel, but it came up on my randomizer while I was working on this chapter and I realized how absolutely PERFECT it is for here! This is the song for this chapter and Cassiel's theme, "Battle Cry" by Beth Crowley:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H9A4996g4U&frags=pl%2Cwn

         The Archangel Cassiel, Prince of Heaven, had never had any reason to regret his position.  He was an angel of serenity, watching the affairs of mortals from his place in Heaven. He’d always known that the human emotions he possessed made him stand out among his brothers, but his position had shielded him from the worst of that.  Yes, it was painful at times to watch the suffering on the Earth, but his mandate was strong.  He comforted the righteous.  Those who did not survive their tribulations, he welcomed into Heaven.  For those who died for the sake of righteousness, he himself would greet them at Heaven’s gate, and personally lead them to their eternal reward among the Elysium fields.

         Then one day one unique soul had come through that gate, and Cassiel had never been the same.

         At first glance, the soul wasn’t that unusual.  It was just another bright, shining soul, beautiful and precious as they all were.  But something about the way this soul shone drew Cassiel like none other ever had. Perhaps it was the fact that this was a murdered soul.  Maybe it was the strength of the soul, the sheer force of its will.

         Or maybe it was just the fact that the soul had absolutely no respect whatsoever for a Prince of Heaven.

         The first thing the soul did was ask, beg, plead, bargain, and demand to be returned to its mortal life.  It wasn’t at all interested in its personal Heaven.  This was a problem.  While he’d get involved in the occasional battle, for the most part Cassiel’s duties were largely administrative.  He guarded his section of Heaven, dealt harshly with any invaders, and was a strict, yet fair and just administrator.  The angels beneath him did their jobs well and were very loyal to him. Cassiel had few surprises.  Everything was neat and orderly.  But this soul had disrupted everything.

         Cassiel took the soul on long walks through the Elysium fields, talking with it at some length about why it was so upset.  Heaven was beautiful.  The soul’s personal Heaven was everything the soul wanted, including a perfect reconstruction of its brother during their happiest moments.  The soul should stop worrying so much about its mortal brother, who would no doubt join the soul in Heaven in its own time.  But the soul kept going on about how its brother now had no one to look after him.  It wasn’t fair.  What was wrong with Cassiel?  Why wouldn’t the archangel do something?  Cassiel had offered to watch over the soul’s mortal brother, which had finally calmed the soul.  But as soon as the soul learned that Cassiel had no intention of doing anything besides watch, it was suddenly even worse than before.

         Cassiel didn’t know what to do.  He spent a great deal of time with the soul, trying various means to make it happy. He’d even tried bringing the soul to meet with the souls of its mortal parents, thinking that would help.  But if anything, that made it worse.  The soul had fought and argued with both parents, upsetting them both until Cassiel had hastily removed it.  And the nicest thing the soul had said about Cassiel, or Cass, as the soul insisted on calling him, was that for a being with four faces and six sets of wings, it was unfortunate that Cassiel didn’t even possess a single functioning brain.

         This was hardly the first time that a soul had arrived unhappy in Heaven. Especially when the soul had been sent there suddenly and unexpectedly, either through accident or foul play, souls often initially resisted.  This wasn’t even the first time that a soul had willfully resisted Cassiel’s ability to provide serenity, holding tight to its anger and grief.  None of this was new.  There were established protocols already in place for when it happened. The soul in question was to be simply taken to its personal Heaven, shut into it, and allowed to calm and gradually accept its new situation with minimal interruption.  Souls were naturally happy in Heaven.  After all, each soul’s Heaven was designed to be exactly what made that soul most happy, as their eternal reward.  Cassiel had no doubt that, in time, this new soul would be the same. But again and again, the soul would call for Cassiel until he came to visit, immediately run to him, and continue to insist on being returned to Earth.  It was playing havoc with Cassiel’s routine.

         Cassiel had finally sent one of his personal cherubs to look into the matter. But when he reported back to the soul that its body had been cremated and return was now impossible, the soul had become extremely upset, hurling abuse until Cassiel finally fled. Cassiel didn’t understand why he was being associated with excrement.  Really, the soul took things a bit far!  He’d scolded the soul for it on his next visit, received more abuse, and had gone storming out to complain to his brothers about the soul’s behavior.

         His fellow Princes, though, had been anything but sympathetic.  Why was Cassiel visiting a soul in the first place? Why did he come every time it called? And why had he ever taken it out of its Heaven?  Had the soul simply been left alone in its Heaven as per protocol, it would have calmed and accepted its place.  They’d been alarmed when Cassiel admitted just how much time he’d spent with the soul, and more alarmed to discover he’d actually dispatched a cherub to find out about the soul’s mortal remains.  Had Cassiel actually been considering granting the soul’s request?  What was he thinking?!  A Prince of Heaven did not take such a personal interest in a single, unremarkable human soul!

         Only Gabriel had taken the time to talk with Cassiel and try to understand.  But Cassiel didn’t understand himself.  He couldn’t explain his interest in this soul, how it had drawn him.  Gabriel had finally given up, told Cassiel he needed to stop the mortal nonsense and act like a Prince of Heaven, and gone off.

         After that, Cassiel had stayed away from the soul, even though it had continued to call for him.  He’d come to learn through various means that, after a time, the soul had started asking about him, wondering where “that stupid annoying nerdy archangel” had gone.  Then the soul had started bringing requests to its caretakers, first wanting out of its Heaven to see Cassiel, then wanting Cassiel to visit, then for messages to be delivered to the archangel.  When these requests were denied, the soul did what every other soul always did when it didn’t get its way and requested a word with God.  But eventually, when this too was denied, the soul had gone quiet. It had finally settled into its Heaven.

         Cassiel returned to his work, brushing off the concerns of his fellow Princes.  He most certainly did not spend entirely too much time doing busy work near that particular section of Heaven, despite what Raphael said.  Nor did he keep finding excuses to go back there as Metatron claimed. It was just that his duties had a tendency to bring him in that direction with more frequency lately.  It was part of Cassiel’s section of Heaven.  What business was it of his brothers?  And if, since he was there anyway, he happened to wander by and peek in on the soul, so what?  It was reassuring to know that the soul had adjusted.  It seemed happy enough in its Heaven now, even if it did still occasionally try to get out.  But even these minor little rebellions were few and far between.  The soul was where it belonged.

         Who cared if Cassiel maybe missed it a little, or secretly hoped it might someday call for him again?  His existence was neat and orderly once more, just the way he liked it.  He threw himself back into his assignments, guarded his section of Heaven, attended to the day to day administrative tasks associated with his duty, and was content.  Moving his office near that part of Heaven was just for convenience. For some reason, his duties continued to bring him there frequently, so why not?  Who cared if his brothers shook their heads and talked about him having a favorite soul behind his back?  It was none of their business.  He did his job, and they’d always considered him eccentric anyway.  Heaven went on as it always had.

         Then the strange angel from another universe had arrived.

         At first, Cassiel hadn’t understood what had happened.  In an instant, he’d suddenly felt different.  Then gradually, his powers had started to wane, and finally he’d realized, to his great alarm, that he himself was starting to wane.  No one knew what was happening.  God was out of contact as usual, and all of Heaven was in an uproar.  No one understood, until one night, the stranger had called out for one particular soul.  And the once-content soul that Cassiel had never stopped thinking about was upset once more.

         Cassiel had started openly watching the soul after that.  The soul wasn’t upset for long.  It went to its caregivers again and demanded to know why it had been called by a strange angel, demanded to meet the angel, demanded a message be sent to the angel, demanded Cassiel get up off of his feathery ass and come talk to it, demanded to see God.  Then once again, it settled back into its Heaven.  It had no idea Cassiel was watching, and it continued interacting with its Heaven as it had done since it had finally adjusted.  But Cassiel was fascinated.  What was it about this soul, that even an angel from another universe was drawn to it?  Cassiel wanted to know.  But the stranger wasn’t getting the soul without a fight!  Cassiel increased his patrols, tightened his security on his section of Heaven.  He was determined to protect his soul.

         But no one else cared.  Their only concern was that Cassiel was spending so much time watching and guarding this one soul that he wasn’t carrying out the rest of his duties.  Of course, they were puzzled by the existence of the strange angel.  They searched for the angel, but didn’t find him.  He was too well shielded.  He didn’t attack, didn’t try to steal Cassiel’s soul, didn’t cause any more trouble. The hosts of Heaven relaxed. Whoever the strange angel was, he didn’t seem to be a threat.

         Then the angel had gone and screamed at Cassiel, a Prince of Heaven the angel had never met, and shocked Heaven.  But none was more shocked than Cassiel himself.  Now they’d found the angel, Castiel, this version of himself from another universe.  Suddenly, what was happening to Cassiel made sense.  The orders went out, an assault group forming to capture the strange angel. But Cassiel, for the first time ever, stood against his brothers.  He insisted that Castiel be allowed to go free, that he only be monitored.  And by the time any archangel thought to stop arguing with Cassiel long enough to check on Castiel, the wily angel had vanished again.

         Of course, his brothers wanted an explanation, but Cassiel couldn’t provide them with much.  Castiel fascinated Cassiel.  What Castiel had said made no sense, but at the same time, it rang true for the archangel like little else ever had.  More and more, Cassiel found himself questioning.  He wanted to speak with this angel, get Castiel to help him understand. Castiel was too interesting to just destroy or lock up.  Cassiel had continued to hold the others back, insisted that he was fine, the strange angel was of no concern.  And he kept watching his soul.

         Then Castiel had arrived in Heaven completely on his own volition, and once again, Cassiel’s calm, orderly world was in an uproar.  Cassiel supposed that his subverting protocol, ignoring the committee being formed to determine if Castiel should be granted an audience with a Prince of Heaven and simply inviting Castiel in, didn’t help.  But Cassiel didn’t care.  He finally had his chance to speak with Castiel.

         Castiel had clearly spent entirely too much time wandering among humankind. He’d started out polite, greeting Cassiel properly as a Prince of Heaven and thanking Cassiel for granting an audience. And Cassiel had reciprocated, welcoming Castiel to his section of Heaven and providing a few of his personal cherubs to attend to any of Castiel’s needs.  He’d even personally seen to it that Castiel was comfortable in his new cell, the biggest and most luxurious in all of Heaven.

         But for some reason, being locked in his cell had greatly upset Castiel.  He’d forgotten every one of his manners, arguing and yelling at Cassiel until finally Michael himself had come over to see what the fuss was about.  Michael had firmly told Castiel that his behavior was not appropriate.  He was in the presence of a Prince of Heaven and a guest in their universe.  Castiel should immediately apologize.  And Castiel, instead of obeying as expected, had informed Michael that he was just as big of an assbutt in this universe as he’d been in Castiel’s own.

         The scandal had rocked Heaven.  In every corner, angels whispered behind their wings about the awful insult.  No one seemed to understand why Michael hadn’t simply smited the unforgivably rude angel on the spot.  Then word spread that Cassiel had intervened, had actually _stood against Michael to protect Castiel,_ and multiple cherubs had to be taken for a quiet stay in the Elysium fields to recover from the shock.  Suddenly Cassiel found himself the subject of gossip all over Heaven.  Even the cupids were titillated!  Embarrassed and chagrined at his own actions, Cassiel had gone to Castiel for an explanation.

         Despite still being moody about being locked in his cell, Castiel was very helpful. “You’ve got the same problem as everyone else in the God Mob,” Castiel had grumbled.  “You watch humanity, but you don’t really see them!  You see their works, what they do, the things they make and the events they put into motion, but do you understand their motivations? Why they do the things they do?”

         Of course he did.  After all, he’d spent eternity watching humans.  “Most humans only want to carve out a comfortable place for themselves to live their lives,” Cassiel had answered in perfect confidence.  “Some want to change things around them in order to make their world better for future generations.”

         “Yes, but they have a far greater motivation,” Castiel argued.  “Humans love and hate.  They form friendships and business partnerships and have love affairs! What they do, they do with other people in mind, based on the relationships they have.  And some of those relationships are so strong that they cannot help but be drawn to each other, even if they’d never met before. The soul I called for was one of those, the one soul I’d save over all others, the one I fell in love with.  My soulmate!  Couldn’t you feel it, the moment you saw the way his soul would shine?”

         “I felt something,” Cassiel admitted.  “I have human emotions, but love?”

         “All you had to do was speak to Dean, get to know him just a little bit, and you’d see what I saw.  But you didn’t!  You sat around on a cloud and watched him die, and you did nothing to stop it!” Castiel was forgetting his manners once again.  “I couldn’t believe it when I learned he was dead!  How could you let that happen, Cassiel?!  Michael may be an assbutt, but you’re worse!  I’m going to go ahead and use the word that offends all angel kind for you again, because you deserve it!  You’re a _damned_ assbutt!”

         Cassiel had fled to the horsehead nebula to recover.  He was aghast.  He’d been cursed at before, it was true.  His soul had done that often enough, and even Castiel had already cursed him once, using that same word.  He’d heard the word countless times among humans, but never before had he realized that it was actually an insult against angel kind!  It certainly made sense, though.  It also explained why Castiel had used the word against him before.  It represented everything angel kind stood against, and combined with that other horrendous insult, Cassiel had never been spoken to in such a manner in all his existence!

         But Cassiel was shaken.  Once again, the angel’s words rang true.  The strange bright soul that had so drawn Cassiel had to be a match for the human Castiel had spoken of.  The Righteous Man.  Dean Winchester.

         After that, Cassiel neglected his duties completely.  He spent all of his time with Castiel, learning everything he could about his human friends from both universes, but especially Dean.  He wanted to know all Castiel could tell him about Dean.  Cassiel’s human emotions had always made him an oddity among his brothers, who generally thought of him as eccentric, but a good administrator.  He was fond of them, especially Gabriel.  But never before had Cassiel ever considered the possibility of falling in love.  The idea that he could woke something in him that had never been there before.  Could Cassiel fall in love?  Was it possible for an archangel to love a human soul? And more importantly, could he ever get the soul to love him in return?

         Meanwhile, Heaven was locked in debate.  Castiel was obviously the reason why Cassiel was fading.  They’d tried and failed to find a way to stop the process. With two of them drawing on the same Grace, it was impossible.  The initial solution seemed simple – destroy Castiel, and Cassiel would recover.  But now, seeing Cassiel becoming more and more erratic and now even _neglecting his duties,_ a movement had started in Heaven.  Castiel was unusually powerful.  Castiel had been touched by God.  God hadn’t been seen or heard from since the day He got tired of His angels’ squabbling, told them it was time for them to fly on their own power, and had gone off for parts unknown.  Even though he was from another universe, Castiel represented the first real contact any angel had from God in quite some time.  Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence?  Perhaps, it was suggested, it might be better to allow this new angel to take over Cassiel’s Grace, train him properly, let Cassiel fade away and allow Castiel to run Cassiel’s section of Heaven?  And suddenly Heaven was divided.

         Even then, knowing nearly half of Heaven was in favor of letting him simply fade out of existence, Cassiel couldn’t be bothered to care.  The only thing he cared about was the Righteous Man. He became excited about his soul, even going so far as asking to borrow Castiel’s vessel to try to interact with it. Castiel said that probably wasn’t a good idea.  The soul already knew him in his true form as an archangel, and it wouldn’t make much sense to change that now.  Castiel was very wise.  He’d spoken of other relationships he’d had, strong bonds of friendship he’d developed with humans.  He’d even made friends in this universe.  And when one of those friends was suddenly in danger, when Cassiel had looked into the future and saw his beating, rape and murder, Castiel had become extremely upset. “We can’t let this happen to my friend!” he’d screamed.  “They’re killing him!  Either let me go to help him, or do it yourself!”

         Cassiel had agreed, but by now, he was being watched.  The other Princes no longer trusted his judgment.  If Castiel’s friend died, Cassiel knew, the angel would no longer be willing to talk to Cassiel about Dean.  That couldn’t happen.  Suddenly, nothing else mattered more than saving Adam Levine.

         Once again, Cassiel had defied his brothers.  He’d stood before them and argued for Castiel, asking that the angel be released.  Most of his brothers believed Cassiel’s condition had deteriorated to the point where now he was losing his mind.  But fortunately, Gabriel seemed to understand.  He stood with Cassiel and argued that Castiel be released on a trial basis.  If the angel did as he’d claimed to want to do and went back to his own universe, all would be well.  But if Castiel stayed, he would be brought back to either take over from Cassiel, or be destroyed.

         Castiel’s trial period had begun.  And with it had come a secret bargain between the two.  Cassiel would watch Castiel, assist him as much as he could when needed.  And in return, Castiel would regularly speak with him, answering any questions Cassiel had about Dean in particular or humans in general.  Castiel saved his friend and went about his business.  But he kept his word, regularly contacting Cassiel and continuing to share his knowledge until the night of the full moon, when Castiel would return to his own universe.

         Cassiel monitored Castiel closely, watching the alien angel interact with the humans around him.  It was amazing.  Castiel seemed to know exactly what to say and do to make the humans trust him. Cassiel wished he was as quick. It wasn’t until Castiel’s friend was about to be murdered again that Cassiel finally understood what the angel was asking of him and lent Castiel his strength, allowing him to break free of the Enochian cuff.  But that had cost Cassiel.  Already, he’d been steadily weakening.  His obviously-deteriorating physical condition was likely the only reason Cassiel was allowed as much leeway as he was, affording him a certain amount of freedom. But lending Castiel his strength like that had drained him so badly that, for the first time in his existence, he nearly lost consciousness.  He’d never fully recovered.  Worse, by the time Cassiel was able to look for the angel again, Castiel had gone with his friend into a building covered with wards, meaning Cassiel couldn’t see or hear what was happening without physically being inside.  He had no idea what the angel was doing, and Castiel was very elusive about it, saying only that he was making plans in case he wasn’t able to return home and Cassiel shouldn’t worry about it.  But Cassiel had continued to watch, frequently speaking secretly with his counterpart and ignoring the requests, pleas, and demands of his brethren to resume his duties.

         Then the disaster at the portal happened, Castiel was banished, and before Cassiel could locate him again, something had happened.  The ever-growing strain on the archangel suddenly eased. And Castiel himself vanished from the sight of the hosts of Heaven.  Even Cassiel lost track of him now.  Castiel had fulfilled his end of their bargain and, apparently, no longer felt obligated to answer Cassiel’s questions.  It would never do.  Cassiel still didn’t know how to approach his soul.  Castiel simply had to return.

         Heaven’s administrators immediately had a meeting, one Cassiel actually attended. They discussed what had happened, considered their options.  Most of those present believed that Castiel had either managed to return to his own universe or been destroyed.  But the simple fact that Cassiel wasn’t recovering seemed to belie that.  Now no one knew what to do, and the meeting produced no real results.

         Cassiel knew his counterpart was alive.  What he didn’t know was what he’d done.  Confused and discouraged, Cassiel had returned to his section of Heaven to watch his precious soul and think.

         The soul continued on as it always had.  Cassiel imagined talking to the soul again, getting to know it as Castiel had frequently suggested.  Now that it had settled into its Heaven, perhaps the soul was more willing to talk?  But then Cassiel considered what might happen if he angered the soul again.  What if the soul rejected him?  That idea frightened Cassiel like nothing else ever had.  He wished Castiel was there.  Castiel understood humans.  Castiel would know how to approach this soul in a way that the soul wouldn’t find threatening or overwhelming, would know how to make the soul accept and even like him. Castiel had the best of everything, and now, Cassiel realized, he was still draining Cassiel.  It was slower, far more subtle.  But Cassiel was continuing to wane.

         And then the Righteous Man began to call out to him.

         Of course, it wasn’t actually Cassiel that Castiel’s Righteous Man was calling, but Cassiel heard all the same.  Dean was here, in this universe!  How frustrating that Cassiel couldn’t find him.  Cassiel searched, listened to the man’s calls, and thought about what to do. Obviously, Castiel had hidden his favorite human.  When Dean’s calls stopped, Cassiel was sure Castiel had found Dean.  Somewhere on Earth, they were together.

         Cassiel brooded, watched his soul in its Heaven, and strolled through the Elysium fields, still lost in his thoughts.  He wanted what Castiel had.  He wanted to get to know his soul, but the thought it might reject him terrified the archangel.  He desperately wished Castiel would return.

         And then Castiel had once again called to him.  _“Cassiel, my brother, I’ve torn out my Grace and now I’m being taken.  I beg you, please protect my friends!  Go to my Righteous Man!  Please, help them!”_

         Cassiel had been right.  Castiel had known exactly what to do!  Cassiel would go to Castiel’s Dean, protect him and his friends.  And meanwhile, he would learn.  If Cassiel could get Castiel’s Righteous Man to accept him? That would surely mean that Cassiel could win the affections of his own bright soul as well!

         His mind made up, Cassiel had gone back to his soul.  The soul had been surprised to see him, but just like before, it had immediately run to the archangel.  “Cass! About time you came back!  Where the hell have you been?!”

         “Shush,” Cassiel had ordered.  “I’m going to take you out of here, and I need you to be quiet.”

         That had immediately alarmed the soul, which had drawn back in suspicion.  “Take me out of here?  Cass, what’s going on?!  You’re not taking me anywhere until I get some answers!”

         Of course the soul would argue.  Cassiel had done the only thing he could do.  He stilled the soul, putting it into a deep sleep.  Then he carefully gathered the soul and stored it inside of himself. It would be safe there.  Even as he did it, he knew it meant he could never return to Heaven.  Stealing one of Heaven’s precious souls was the one crime for which even a Prince of Heaven would face serious penalty.  But it didn’t matter.  He couldn’t leave the soul behind.  Cassiel would keep his precious soul with him while he did what he needed to do.

         He’d need a vessel.  Cassiel had gone to his world’s version of Castiel’s vessel, but had been rejected. That would never do.  Novak wouldn’t have lasted long anyway, Cassiel had to admit, because that vessel wasn’t strong enough to hold the power of an archangel.  At best, Novak’s vessel might have gotten Cassiel to Castiel’s friends, but then he would only have to find another.  Castiel had only been able to remain with his ever-increasing power because his God-touched vessel was unoccupied except for him.  But Cassiel needed a vessel of his own.

         The Righteous Man.  Cassiel would go to him, ask him what to do.

         He’d chosen the form of Castiel’s vessel to enter the human’s dream, thinking that would calm Dean.  But Dean had immediately mistaken him for Castiel.  That had surprised him greatly! But even in this dream, Cassiel could sense that Dean, Castiel’s Righteous Man, had a body powerful enough to hold even an archangel.

         Castiel had been right to send him here.  He’d come up with the perfect solution.

         Cassiel had been as gentle as possible when he’d taken the vessel.  He’d carefully enfolded the Righteous Man with his power, making him feel safe and secure, and had taken over.  Then he’d gone out to speak with his most loyal generals, explaining what he’d done and asking them to cover for him as much as they could.  But Dean was still furious once he’d realized he’d been deceived.  Dean wanted Cassiel to leave.  He wanted to be in control.  He wanted to share control.  He wanted to talk to his brother.  And then it was back to wanting Cassiel to leave again.  Since the day Cassiel had taken him, Dean had fought and railed and struggled.

         Cassiel didn’t know what to do.  He’d quickly realized that Dean was far calmer if the human saw Cassiel helping his friends, and became upset again any time those friends showed Cassiel affection, believing him to be Castiel.  It became a challenge, allowing Dean access to the vessel’s senses enough to see Cassiel helping, and then locking him back in again to keep him from getting upset. Of course, Dean got upset anyway when he was locked in, but not nearly as much as he did otherwise.  After speaking with Blake, Cassiel had tried again to reach Dean.  He’d traveled away from the group, explained his situation to Dean, asked him to try to remain calm, and had carefully allowed Dean some control.  That had resulted in an exploding tree.  Dean was furious.  He refused to accept Cassiel, refused to calm down.  And over and over again, Dean threatened to expose Cassiel, to tell his friends the truth.  That was unfortunate.  It meant that Cassiel didn’t dare let Dean out, not until the Righteous Man understood what Cassiel was trying to do.

         But apart from this, Cassiel was having a wonderful time.  He’d never taken a vessel before.  He found it a bit cramped, and it only allowed for the use of one set of wings.  But once he got shifted around properly, it was comfortable enough.  And the affection the humans gave him filled him with the warmest feelings he’d ever known.  Cassiel found himself going out of his way to try to find nice things to do for them. He kept them calm.  He transported them anywhere they wanted to go.  He healed any wounds they received.  He guarded them, taking out three pesky demons and a werewolf who had wandered too close without them even being aware of it. He tried, unsuccessfully, to learn to cook for them.  He watched over them as they slept, something Dean called creepy, but still seemed to appreciate anyway.  Cassiel even got to rescue Blake and Sam!  That had been wonderful.  He’d been able to show off his powers and even got to call Ketch an assbutt, something he’d found immensely satisfying.  Everything was going so well he could almost ignore the fact he was still being drained, that powering through the manacle had hurt him nearly as much as letting Castiel borrow his power before had.  But even that was a positive experience in its own way, because of the affection and concern his new human friends showed to him.  Being carried by Blake was one of the best moments of Cassiel’s existence because he could feel the big human’s concern in the way he gently yet firmly cradled Cassiel against his chest.  Between that and the way PJ constantly sought him out, wanting to talk or just be near him, Cassiel had never felt so loved and accepted.

         If only Dean would accept him, talk to him?  Cassiel could allow him to share the vessel, and things would be perfect! It didn’t even matter anymore that he was still being drained.  Cassiel was never going back to his section of Heaven anyway.  Castiel was welcome to it.  Cassiel had everything he wanted right here.

         Then the abomination had come, and everything had changed.

         He’d tried his best.  He’d fought the monster with all his strength, even as it drained him more and more until Cassiel could barely stand.  But not even that had hurt more than the satisfied, determined looks on the faces of these humans he’d come to care about when they’d finally trapped him. In the end, it had been a simple human link, that of soulmates, that had defeated him.  Cassiel had tried to bury Dean deep, to spare him the pain of seeing his friends upset.  But when his soulmates had called to him, Dean had heard and responded.  And he hadn’t been alone.  From deep within Cassiel, his own beloved soul had responded as well.  Between the two of them, the weakened archangel had been dragged back, just long enough for Dean to take over and his vessel to become trapped.

         He’d been right when he’d decided to learn more about humans before approaching his soul.  Bad enough the soul had responded to the pleas of its soulmates to fight him.  If the soul had rejected Cassiel as these humans he’d called friend had, Cassiel didn’t know if he could find the strength to go on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun rolled his eyes and said very sarcastically that he was shocked that this one particular soul could disrupt Heaven. Who could imagine that this one guy could cause so much trouble? Laughed about the stupid annoying nerdy archangel. Laughed very hard about the scandal with Michael. Said “Oh boy” at the end, and said that it was sad.


	7. The Lonely Archangel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassiel tries to explain himself to his human friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post today! My new boss starts tomorrow so I don't know what sort of week I'll have, and I'd rather not leave things stand on the current cliff. So enjoy!

         They were surrounding him as he stood in the flames.  All of the humans he’d come to care for, called friends, were staring at him now like an exhibit in a zoo.  The abomination – Adam, he was Adam, no need to upset the humans any more – was there, looking even more exhausted than Cassiel felt and still held in the arms of Blake.  Blake, who had been so excited and proud when Cassiel had saved him.  That day, Blake had held Cassiel in his arms in exactly the same way that he now held Adam.  But now, Blake’s blue eyes were hard and cold.  He held so tight to his husband that Adam looked uncomfortable, but wasn’t trying to get free.  He simply watched Cassiel through the flames.  The two versions of Dean’s brother were here as well.  In hindsight, trying to kill the two was probably a bad idea. But really, Cassiel hadn’t had any way to know that a link between soulmates was that strong!  Clever Sam Farrar had known.  He was there too, the old book clutched to his chest, staring wide-eyed at the archangel.

         The others were here as well.  Rufus and Bobby, the wily old hunters who’d trapped him.  Matt, Mickey, James and Jesse, who had tried to explain a movie to him the night before, were now looking at him as if he were a wild animal that might attack.  And PJ, who had sat up for hours talking with him, who was simultaneously so in awe of and passionately protective of him, had tears in his eyes.  “Where is he?” PJ demanded.  “Where’s our angel, Cassiel?!”

         “I’m here, PJ!” Cassiel insisted.  “I told you last night that I would go with you to speak with your father, remember? It’s me!  Let me out!”

         But PJ was shaking his head.  “Tell us where Castiel is!”

         “What makes you think he knows?” Rufus asked.  “Ketch took Castiel, and I rather doubt Cassiel has anything to do with Ketch!”

         “That assbutt?!  Never!!” Cassiel exclaimed.  He reached imploringly towards Blake and Lawyer Sam.  “I fought him to save you!  Don’t you remember?”

         “I remember you fighting,” Blake confirmed.  “And I do remember you saving our hides.  But what I don’t remember is you ever being even remotely honest with us! Cassiel, did you ever intend to tell us the truth?!”

         Now that was a silly question.  “Of course not!  You would have rejected me!”

         Blake nodded.  “That’s why we’re rejecting you now.”

         It struck the archangel like a blow.  His arms dropped to his sides as he staggered back.  “What does it matter?” he demanded.  “We are two versions of the same angel, just as they are two versions of the same man!  You accept them both, but you won’t accept me?”

         “Cassiel, I do get what you did,” Lawyer Sam sighed.  “I made the same mistake.  I let Dean believe I was his brother so he’d let me take him.  I turned off my phone and left everyone who was counting on me swinging in the wind because I was selfish.  And now you’ve done the same thing, but with one exception – I tricked Dean, but I never forced him down and trapped him against his will.  You have!  This whole time, you’ve kept Dean locked up because you _knew_ he would tell us the truth!  A-and meanwhile, none of us were looking for Castiel!  Ketch has him somewhere, he’s doing only God knows what, and we were all here, not doing anything to try to help him, because you intentionally led us to believe that you’re him!”  The lawyer’s head was shaking rapidly in his agitation.  “I’d reject you for either one of those reasons, Cassiel! For both?  I don’t even want to talk to you anymore!  All I want is for you to let Dean go and get out!”

         “Cassiel, why?” James wanted to know.  “Why the hell would you do this?”

         “I only wanted to be with you, with all of you!”  Cassiel was moving around, looking at each human in turn.  “I would have done anything in my power for you, but I didn’t know where Castiel was.  He called to me, said he’d torn out his Grace and was being taken.  He asked me to protect you, and that’s precisely what I’ve done!”

         “And you didn’t think to help him?!” Matt yelled.

         “He never asked me to help him!” Cassiel defended.  “As for Dean, I didn’t originally plan on taking him, but I needed a vessel.  I never hurt him!”

         “Yeah, actually, you did hurt him!” Hunter Sam snapped.  “I know Dean never would have let you in if he knew who you really were, not without discussing it with us.  That means you tricked him into thinking you were Cass, just like you did with us!  You have human emotions, Cassiel?  How about empathy?  How do you think Dean felt, knowing you’d tricked him, let him believe his angel was safe, and then you locked him away and tricked everyone else so no one was looking for Castiel?!  He must have been _screaming!”_

         That quieted Cassiel.  Yes, the Righteous Man had been screaming, especially at first.  Cassiel had shut him away where he couldn’t be heard, telling himself it was to calm Dean.  But was that really it?  Or had he shut Dean away so he wouldn’t have to listen to his anguished cries?  He grimaced.  “Alright.  Let me out, and I’ll help you find him.”

         “No!” Bobby yelled.  “The only way you are getting out is if you get your sorry ass out of my boy!  Now let Dean go!”

         “He can’t,” Rufus reminded, gently taking Bobby’s arm.  “As long as he’s in that circle, he’s in that vessel.  You know that.”

         Bobby angrily threw his hat.  “And we can’t hurt the son of a bitch without hurting my boy!  Bastard!”

         Cassiel swallowed hard.  “Why are you doing this?  Why do you want to hurt me?  Yes, I lied, and I deceived you and I know that’s upset you.  But I did it for you!  I did it all for you, so you’d let me in.  I’ve only done precisely as Castiel asked!  Haven’t I guarded you, protected you?  Haven’t I proven my worth?”

         “The only thing you’ve proven?” Mickey called.  “Is that we can’t trust you!  Ok guys, how do we get this fucker out of Dean?”

         “We can’t.”  Crowley’s voice was flat, his face expressionless as he looked at Cassiel. “That’s the danger of being an angelic vessel.  Once you let them in, they’re in until they decide to leave.”

         “Actually, that’s not true,” Bobby corrected.  “Sammy booted Gadreel out!”

         “But he was a regular angel, and very weak,” Hunter Sam sighed.  “It took all I had in me to do it, and I had... certain advantages.”  He swallowed. “Anyway, the only archangel I ever had in me was Lucifer.  Dean was able to reach me eventually, but even then, I couldn’t get Lucifer out of me. I could only take control long enough to jump into the Cage!  Dean’s not going to be able to kick Cassiel out, not if he’s not willing to leave!”

         “Fine, he can’t tell us where Castiel is, and he won’t let Dean go, but there’s one thing he can tell us,” Blake called.  “What’s wrong with Adam?  What’s going on with his wings?”

         “It’s why I tried to destroy him,” Cassiel explained patiently.  “It’s possible for a non-angel to gain some boost from angelic Grace, but it’s temporary and would need constant replenishment.  Adam’s different.  Castiel’s Grace has been attached to his soul, like it’s been transplanted.  My brother must have gone into him enough to latch himself into place, and then torn himself loose.  The fool must have nearly killed himself, but the result is that the Grace inside of Adam is well anchored, and constantly replenishing itself. It’s even affecting me, giving me back some of the very strength he’s stolen from me!  Adam’s got the Grace of an angel, but he’s only got a human soul to guide it.  His soul is being corrupted!  And that Grace, it’s not as bad in him, since we’re not the same angel, but he’s still drawing on the same power in this universe as I am.”  He narrowed his eyes at Adam, who was still staring at him, and then met Blake’s eyes.  “I never should have used my powers on him.  He’s using them, too, and he’s still draining me!  If I draw too hard on my powers, I can barely stay conscious, and he drains me a bit more.  But if _he_ draws on them?  Every time he uses his Grace, he’s taking away from _me!_  He’s taking more and more of me into himself, while I continue to fade out of existence. And his human soul can’t handle it, Blake!” He eyed Adam again and pinched his lips.  “As his powers grow, it further alters his soul. That’s why I imagine he’s already acting strange, isn’t he?  Now that he's taken so much more from me, it will be far more obvious.  It’s because his soul is being corrupted.  If this continues, he’ll be, essentially, soulless.”

         “Oh, that is not good,” Bobby mumbled.  “We saw that after Castiel got Sam out of the Cage, but his soul was still trapped!  He had no empathy at all, he was just...”

         “A monster,” Hunter Sam whispered.

         “Yes! A monster with all the power of an angel, walking about on the Earth.  That’s why I tried to destroy him!  Don’t you see, it was more than just self-preservation.  He’ll turn first on those closest to him.”  He spread his arms, indicating his friends.  “That’s _you!_  You are all in danger from him, but none more so than you, Blake!”

         Adam didn’t say a word, his hazel eyes fixed on Cassiel and his face expressionless. Blake tightened his arms around him and lowered his face into Adam’s hair.  “He’ll be fine.  I’ll see him through whatever comes.  But step one, I get him away from you!”

         “That’s actually the best idea I’ve heard yet,” Matt declared.  “I say we all jump in the cars and get the hell out of here! The angels had to have noticed that fight, and then there’s Ketch!  We’re out in the boonies, but if Ketch can monitor supernatural activity at that bunker thing like you said, Bobby?  Then what are the chances he’s already on his way out here?”

         “I'd say pretty high!” Rufus agreed.

         Cassiel looked up.  “I don’t know about Ketch, but there’s time.  My generals will delay Heaven’s response, give me time to flee.  But you must let me out!”

         “What about Adam?” Jesse asked.  “If he keeps using Castiel’s Grace, he’ll keep draining Cassiel and making himself worse. But if he doesn’t use it, he’ll burn up inside!”

         “I’ve got to keep using it,” Adam mumbled.  His hazel eyes were dull, still exhausted from his fight.  “I’ll just have to just keep on like I’m doing, use it as little as possible but keep tapping off the excess.  Blake, let me down, ok?  We should start packing.”

         “You go and rest in the car,” Blake ordered, gently setting Adam down and steering him towards the cars.  “We’re gonna have fun trying to avoid the cops, driving with no headlights, tail lights, or windshields, and Dean’s gonna be pissed when he sees that on Honey, but...” Blake gasped and caught Adam as his knees buckled.  “For fuck’s sake, Rockstar, don’t do that shit!”

         “Balls!” Bobby yelled, staring at the suddenly-intact windows and lights on the cars. “Adam, you just heard Cassiel tell you about the dangers of using your Grace, so you fix the windows?!”

         “Couldn’t get pulled over,” Adam groaned.  He wobbled.  “Blake, help me!”

         Blake immediately scooped Adam back up, carrying him towards the cars.

       The further unexpected drain on him had hit Cassiel hard.  He’d whimpered and doubled over from the strain, but managed to keep his feet. No one paid him any attention.

         “We need to find Castiel,” Mickey was saying.  “Get Adam’s Grace back into our angel, and let him go full-on wrath of God somewhere, preferably wherever Ketch happens to be standing at the time.  That should pull Cassiel down enough that Dean can boot his ass out, right?  Then Dean’s back, Cassiel can flutter back to Heaven where he belongs, and we just go on like we were until we can get the Unicorn Gang back home.  End of story, problem solved!”

         “Until the other angels go gunning for Castiel, wanting him to give up his free will and take over for this dick!”  Farrar jerked a thumb towards Cassiel.  “But that’s still the best plan, if you ask me.  We get our angel back, we get Adam back to normal, we get Dean back, and then we just get our new and improved Castiel back to his own universe.  Game, set, and match!”

         “What about him?” PJ asked, his eyes on Cassiel.  “We just gonna leave him here for Ketch or the other angels to find?”

         Bobby snorted.  “If Ketch wants to take on an archangel, he’s welcome to try, and the angels can take him back home with them!  That holy oil will burn down soon enough.  I say we get the hell out of here while we still can!”

         “I agree!”

         “Me, too!”

         “Let’s get packing!”

         “Wait!” Cassiel cried.  “You... You’re just going to leave me here? You’re going away, and you’re leaving me behind?”

         “Why not?” Adam called without looking back.  “Not like we ever wanted you around in the first place!”

         Something was apparently wrong with his vessel’s mortal heart.  Cassiel felt as if he’d been stabbed with his own blade. They were leaving him behind. They were turning their backs on him, moving away from him to gather their belongings.  Even Blake had turned his back on Cassiel, the cowboy intent on his husband.  Cassiel clenched his fists.  “Please don’t leave me!” he begged.  “Please! I was wrong, and I hurt you, I understand that now.  I’m sorry! I didn’t know, I...”  He took a shuddering breath, seeing all their eyes turn to him.  “I’m sorry,” he said humbly.  “I’m not Castiel.  I don’t understand humans the way he does.  I shouldn’t have lied or tried to trick you.  But all I wanted was a chance, one chance to be with you, to be your friend!  Please take me with you?  I can help you, protect you, just like I’ve been doing!  Or, I could do more!  I can help you find Castiel, I can fight for you, and maybe I can even help Adam?”  He spread his hands, reaching towards the humans beyond the barrier of flames.  “Please!  I’m begging you!  Let me out? Please, just give me one more chance!”

         His eyes locked on PJ, who was staring hard back at him.  PJ, who had always treated him with such reverence.  Surely PJ wouldn’t leave him here like this!  Trapped by the holy oil, Cassiel had no idea what the human was thinking.  But after a moment, PJ turned his back on him.  “Pack up, cats,” the keyboardist called.  “We need to get going.”

         Something inside of Cassiel shattered.  He fell to his knees, then dropped down on his hands, struggling to breathe.  All around him, the humans, the friends he’d have done anything for, were walking away. They were moving back towards the shelter, speaking quietly among themselves about what they needed to gather up.

         Cassiel stopped listening.  He closed his eyes and let his chin fall to his chest.  The pain was beyond anything he’d ever felt.  He never should have come here.  His brothers were right.  He should have let them destroy Castiel, given up on the soul, and just done his duties as he’d always done.  But even as he thought that, he doubted he could have done it.  Even if he could do everything else, somehow Cassiel couldn’t believe that he could ever really walk away from his precious soul.  And now, the soul he’d stolen meant he was condemned.

         He reached for that soul now, for its light, its warmth as it slumbered once more, safe within him.  And strangely enough, something else stirred.  Dean.  In his pain, Cassiel must have let Dean out enough for him to see what was happening. Now, despite everything, Dean was reaching out for him.  _“Calm down, Cassiel.  Don’t give up on them yet.”_

_“They’re abandoning me!”_

_“They won’t.  Humans forgive, at least the ones who are good do.  And these guys are good!  All it’s going to take is for one to realize you’re not a monster, that you just didn’t understand.  Once one comes around, the rest will follow.  They just need time.”_

         Time? Time was something that Cassiel had always taken for granted.  But now, for the first time Cassiel faced the real possibility of his own death. Suddenly, despite this horrible, unbearable pain they’d caused him, the archangel felt closer to humans than ever before.  For the first time, he understood how it felt to be mortal.

         Commotion.  PJ was returning, coming forward with long, determined strides, something cylindrical and metallic in his hands.  Ignoring the shouts and startled yells, the keyboardist marched up to Cassiel, raised his burden, and sprayed the flames with billowing white powder.

         Instantly, the flames were out.  Astounded, Cassiel rose, getting back on his feet to face PJ.

         “You wanted another chance?” PJ called, tossing the fire extinguisher aside. “You got it.”

         _“Bollocks!”_   Crowley raced for Sam Squared, grabbed the two startled men, and all three disappeared.

         “My boys!” Bobby roared.  “Crowley, you bastard!”

         “He won’t hurt them!” Rufus spat.  “Crowley just took them because they’re the only matching pair of souls from two different worlds we’ve got, and he can’t get back without ‘em.  That demon’s only interested in saving his own hide!  Worry about ours right now, would you?”

         “We are going to die!”

         “PJ, are you out of your fucking mind?!”

         “You stupid son of a bitch!”

         “He’ll tear you apart and then go after Adam again!”

         “No, he won’t!”  PJ’s eyes were locked with Cassiel’s.  “He attacked Adam because he was trying to protect us.  Sam was right.  He doesn’t understand human behavior any more than Castiel does.  In fact, he’s worse!  He’s like a child, alright?  All he wants is to be welcomed and have friends.  He’s no threat to us, and I’m not leaving him trapped here like this for Ketch to find!  You guys don’t trust him?  Fine! I’ll keep him with me, and we’ll do what we can on our own.  But I’m not leaving him.  He’s not evil and he can prove it.  He just needs a chance.  I’m giving it to him!”

         Silence.  Cassiel stood as he was, frozen in shock, staring at PJ.

         PJ held out his arms.  “Come on, Cassiel,” he urged.  “Come to me, angel!  You’ve got your chance.”

         The pain was gone, replaced with a warmth that spread through every part of the archangel.  With a hopeful smile, he moved forward, raising his arms towards PJ, and stepped into his embrace.  PJ held him tightly, and suddenly everything was right again.

         Yelling.  Cassiel glanced up in alarm, pushing PJ to safety behind himself, and saw Rufus Turner had grabbed Bobby’s angel blade and was charging towards him.  But James leaped forward, getting in the agent’s way. “No!  Leave him alone!”

         Rufus stared.  “You cannot tell me you trust that angel!  Get the hell out of my way!”

         James crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest, not moving.  “I trust PJ!” James declared.  “PJ’s right.  Cassiel really is like a kid, ok?  Let him have his chance.  If he screws up again, you can stab him all you want!”

         “No, he can’t!”  Bobby snatched back his weapon and gave Rufus a shove.  “That’s _Dean_ , ya idjit!  You ain’t stabbing my boy!”

         Rufus rolled his eyes.  “Whatever, you’re the stupidest son of a bitch in this universe or any other!”

         “Like I ain’t never heard that before!”  Bobby found his hat, smacked it against Rufus, and shoved it back on his head. “Let’s go, boys, get your asses moving! We need to be gone before Ketch gets here!  Cassiel, put that angel strength to use and get the heavy shit in first, would you?”

         A job. Bobby was giving him a job.  Bobby didn’t need to know how much Cassiel’s legs wobbled, how shaky he still felt.  He could do this, use his angel strength to move heavy objects.  Cassiel embraced PJ again, and then hugged James, who grunted and complained about his ribs.  Then he hurried off to start working.

         As he moved past Blake and Adam near the cars, Blake got in his way, and Cassiel froze.  Blake was their leader.  If he rejected Cassiel now, Cassiel would never be truly welcome in this group. 

         For a long moment, Blake simply looked at him.  But there was no condemnation in Blake’s voice or face when he spoke.  “The heaviest items will be the luggage and the frozen stuff.  It will all need loaded up.”

         Adam moved around his husband and nodded. “I’ll get the luggage, Cassiel. You get the food.”

         “Only place you’re going is back in the car,” Blake insisted, pushing Adam back into the seat.  Blake fastened his scowling husband into the seat belt.  Then he turned to Cassiel.  “Come on,” Blake said quietly, pointing behind Cassiel.  “I’ll load you up.”

         It wasn’t forgiveness, not by a long shot.  Blake still wanted him to stay away from Adam.  But it was a start.

         From within, Cassiel could feel Dean smirking.  _“Told you so.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun agrees with Mickey’s plan to go wrath of God on Ketch. Says it’s a good plan! Says what Dean said at the end was nice. He should have guessed it would be PJ who would do that and is ashamed of himself for not guessing it.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Soulless Sam was a true sociopath. With no empathy, he did things like standing back and watching his brother be turned by a vampire right in front of him, with no remorse whatsoever. But retrieving and replacing his battered soul from Lucifer's cage quickly drove him insane. Castiel took that insanity upon himself and ended up in the mental hospital, where Dean would, in time, return his trench coat.


	8. Breakthrough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ketch's hard work and persistence finally pay off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter is "Wish I Had An Angel" by Nightwish  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXo_Vu0Fyxw&frags=pl%2Cwn

          “Shh, there now, calm down,” Ketch soothed, gently rubbing the angel’s shoulder.  “No one’s going to hurt you anymore.  All you have to do is just answer a few questions, and then you can sleep!”

            The angel blinked, exhaustion evident in the blue eyes.  He really was every bit as weak as a human, at least physically.  The cuts and bruises on his face were healing no faster than a mortal man’s, and his strength seemed only average as well. Still, Ketch was taking no chances. The angel had been doubly restrained, the Enochian manacles and chains remaining in place despite the inconvenience of having to maneuver the straps holding the angel into the testing chair around them.  He would be given no chance of escape.  But how irritating that, despite his best efforts, Ketch still had no idea why the angel had even removed his Grace, much less what he'd done with it.  That was vital information.  Ketch needed to know where the angel’s Grace was if ever wanted to attain his ultimate goal of controlling an angel.  But no matter what Ketch tried, the angel remained stubbornly defiant.  Even now, he groaned, strained again against the restraints.  It seemed he was trying to squirm away from Ketch’s hand.  “Don’t touch me!” he snapped, confirming this.

            “Come now, there’s no point to this!” Ketch argued, smiling.  “I’ll get the answers I seek one way or another, with or without your help.  Why put yourself through all of this?”

            The angel struggled harder, angrily jerking his shoulder until Ketch let go.  His tongue briefly appeared, licking at chapped lips.  “Leave me alone!” the angel rasped.  His gravely voice had been reduced to a harsh snarl of defiance.  “You won’t break me, Ketch.  I have existed since the beginning of time!  You think I’ve never been captured, tortured before? I have been put through far worse than you could ever imagine!  I don’t care what you do to me, I’m not telling you anything!  Just kill me or let me go!”

            More of the same.  Even without his Grace and trapped in a human body, the angel was proving frustratingly difficult to break.  Ketch sighed.  He turned, nodding to the woman behind him.  “Give it to him.  Maximum dose, if you will?”

            “Of course, Mr. Ketch.”  She produced a syringe and began drawing solution into it from a vial.  The angel watched, his blue eyes wary as they fixed on the syringe.

            Ketch rose, straightening his jacket, and moved out of the way.  The angel was surprisingly resistant to standard interrogation techniques, even while deprived of sleep and drugged.  But of course, if he’d been captured and tortured before, it explained this.  Normal methods of extracting information might not work on this angel.  Ketch was anxious to see if this new technique would prove more helpful.

            “Mr. Ketch, sir?”

            Ketch glanced in annoyance at his assistant. “What is it, Charles?”

            His assistant was practically vibrating with excitement.  “We found them, sir!  We’ve got a team on their way as we speak to collect them!”

            Ketch sucked in his breath.  He looked over at the angel, saw him looking anxiously back. Then the angel saw the lab assistant approaching with the syringe.  He simply watched as she began injecting the drug into his IV, his clenched fists the only thing betraying his stress.  “This should take effect in a few minutes,” the lab assistant called.  “I’ll let you know.”

            “Excellent.”  He closed the door, moving to a window where he could still see into the room without being overheard.  Then he turned to his assistant.  “Alright, Charles, let me see what you have.”

            “We registered an unusually large discharge of power right here,” Charles explained, handing Ketch a tablet.  “It’s an old bomb shelter, not even listed on most of our maps.  There were multiple smaller discharges of power after the first, lasting a period of several minutes.”

            Ketch frowned.  “What on Earth could they have been doing?  Do we have satellite?”

            “Yes, we do.  It should actually be over the site now.”

            Ketch quickly called up the satellite image and looked it over.  He frowned. “No vehicles?  I would have been surprised if there were, to be honest. The team needs to go out there, see if we can find anything to figure out where they’re going next.  But Singer’s too smart not to realize that we’d detect something like this!”

            “We’ll do a thorough sweep of the area,” Charles assured.  The mousy assistant was much less excited now.

            Ketch nodded.  “I want a detailed analysis of what the sensors picked up.  This level of damage, this crater, and the level of power discharged?  This is angel violence!  Investigating it needs to be top priority.”  He frowned at the image.  “We’ve now flushed Singer out of two nests.  Chances are very high that he’s going to take his group to a third.  Did you get the information on properties Turner has ties to?”

            Charles nodded.  “There is one place we found, but it’s a weak connection and not something they’d likely use unless they had no other option.”

            Ketch handed him the tablet.  “Show me.”

            The assistant brought up the information and handed the tablet back.  “It’s a hunting cabin.  The only reason we even know about it was because it’s also remotely linked to this world’s version of Singer.  It actually belonged to Singer’s former father-in-law.  Turner and Singer apparently went out there on hunting trips. It’s remote enough to hide the famous faces among their group, but it’s actually too remote.  It’s got no electricity or running water, just an outhouse and a well.  The only way they’d go there is if they’ve got no other choice.”

            “Then naturally, the thing to do is to leave them no other choice!” Ketch declared.  “Flush them out enough times and they’ll eventually head there.”  He indicated the road.  “This road is the only way to it other than some back roads. Given what they’re driving, it’s unlikely they’ll risk the vehicles on those.  That means if we set a trap here, along this road?  They’ll drive right into it!”

            “But sir, what about the archangel?” Charles dared. “I thought you said Azazel wouldn’t help!”

            Ketch frowned.  “No, he refused.  He confirmed that several of his demons have witnessed angels in vessels, searching on the Earth.  But he can’t confirm what they’re searching for.  And while the idea of a rogue angel certainly interests him, he’s no doubt devoting some of his own resources towards tracking down this archangel.”

            “You think he’d risk that?”

            Ketch’s frown grew deeper.  “I underestimated Azazel.  I thought he’d take the angel in exchange for helping us deal with the archangel, but it seems his goals actually align with mine.  He may actually attempt to capture the archangel himself!  If he’s able to capture him, it’s not likely he’ll take the time to inform us.  And of course, if he collects him first, we are out a massive prize!  We need to find a way to convince Azazel to assist us, rather than trying to capture my archangel himself.  I’ll not be second place to the King of Hell!”  He glanced back at his assistant.  “You got the information on Cassiel I asked for?”

            Charles took back the tablet, brought up the file, and handed it back to Ketch.  “There are several key points,” he began.  “First, it’s highly unlikely that this is Cassiel we’re dealing with, for no other reason than he’s the angel of serenity.  He’s known for watching over the affairs of humans without interfering.”

            “Maybe in this universe, but don’t forget, we’re dealing with an alternate reality,” Ketch pointed out.  “Remember, this angel we’ve captured here was probably only an advance scout, sent here by the archangel to bring him and the others through! That’s the only explanation that makes sense.  It even explains why they sought out the lawyer Sam Winchester if his brother was willing to play host to the archangel!”

            “But sir, Davis has already been contacted, and he’s sure that Dean Winchester wasn’t a vessel when they lost him at the lawyer’s residence,” Charles reminded him.  “He reports that they actually had him under control, but the lawyer and his wife resisted and drove off Davis and his men.  If Winchester was a vessel for an archangel, well, why would they even be alive?”

            Ketch pinched his lips together in irritation. “I’m still not entirely certain why I’m alive!  There’s only one thing that makes sense – something has happened to the archangel. That’s why they came through in the first place.  They’re here for a place of refuge, or perhaps some way to cure whatever is wrong. But the only reason the archangel wouldn’t kill us is because he couldn’t!”

            Charles looked confused.  “I read the reports, Mr. Ketch.  You said he was so powerful he actually burned through an Enochian cuff! That’s a massive amount of power, and then he was still able to throw us out of the van!  So why wouldn’t he just kill everyone in the van and either spare Shelton and Winchester, or bring them back afterwards?  It doesn’t make sense!”

            “Yes, I know.  There’s something I’m not seeing!”  He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking back into the room, where the angel now lay quietly.  The blue eyes were already half-lidded and blinking as the drug began to take hold of him. Ketch stared at the angel for a moment, lost in his thoughts.  “It makes sense for this angel to be so resistant to interrogation if he was ordered to say nothing by an archangel,” he said aloud.  “That’s likely the same reason he’s removed his Grace, which I couldn’t figure out before.  He was likely ordered to do so in order to disguise his presence here on Earth.  The influence of the archangel explains so much about this angel, but the archangel himself...?”  He straightened.  “Wait. Azazel said that his demons had spotted angels in human vessels searching on Earth, correct?  And we assumed they were looking for this angel. But what if they weren’t?”

            Ketch looked back at the angel.  The angel’s eyes were closed, succumbing to the effect of the drug.  Ketch stared down at the still figure, frowning.  “What if we’ve been looking at this all wrong, Charles?” he mused. “What if the archangel didn’t come from the other universe at all?”

            “Well, where else would he have come from?” Charles wondered.  “Ours?”

            “Precisely!”  Ketch looked up, looking at the IV bag.  The solution continued to drip, draining the potent drug into the angel’s veins.  “We know from our research that some scholars believe that the name ‘Castiel’ is a variation on ‘Cassiel,’ a typo if you would. It’s highly possible they’re two names for the same being.”

            “But Castiel is just a regular angel, and the one in Dean Winchester carries an archangel blade!”

            “Correct!  We know the angel is rogue because he’s from another universe.  But what if there’s more to it than that?  What if he’s rogue in his own universe as well?  Maybe this angel is the one who came through seeking refuge, and found that, in this universe, he’s actually an archangel! What if he convinced the archangel to go rogue, too?  Then it finally makes sense why an archangel would even restrain himself with that cuff in the first place!”  Ketch smiled at his assistant.  “The archangel is rogue, Charles, and now he’s being hunted by his own kind, just as this angel is!  That’s why the angel has those tattoos.  The angel is trying to hide from his own kind, and now, so is the archangel! That’s why he put on the cuff and let himself be pulled into the van.  He needed to be in the van, protected by the angel sigils inside, before he could act.  His original plan was likely to do what Sam Winchester was suggesting, because I still believe burning through the manacle all but exhausted him.  But it was all done in the van, out of the sight and hearing of Heaven!”

            “But why would Cassiel go rogue?” Charles wondered. “Why would either of them do it?”

            Ketch’s smile faded, his expression clouding.  He shook his head.  “I simply must break this angel, Charles!  Let’s go over the information you’ve gathered on Cassiel, see what I can use.”

            He marched back out again and studied the information.  “Serenity,” he mused.  “Human emotions, no help there.  Oversees the death of Kings?  Mmm, no, that would be entirely too difficult.  Saturn I have no idea how we could use.  The Righteous Man?  What does that even mean?  Still, it might be worth looking into.”  He paused, shaking his finger at the screen.  “Charles, while I tend to this, I want you to amend the bounties.  Remove all of the dead or alive clauses and put contact stipulations on the lot.  And add in Adam Levine, status ‘Unknown,’ with his bounty the same as Singer.”

            “And leave the access points we identified in our computer systems open?”

            “Of course!  Just don’t forget the contact stipulations.  I’ll not have those hunters trying for a dead or alive bounty with an archangel involved!”

            Charles’s expression turned serious.  “I’ll change the bounties right away.  And that’s good thinking, Mr. Ketch,” he complimented. “If Singer’s group is affiliated with an archangel, that’s just too dangerous for hunters!”

            “Hmm?  What’s this now?”  Ketch was frowning at the tablet again.

            “Well, if they attempted a dead or alive capture with the archangel present, that would result in dead hunters!  It’s good of you to be considerate enough to look out for their well-being!”

            Ketch stared at him.  “If they go after one of the dead-or-alive bounties, it could end up flushing the group before I’m prepared to deal with the archangel,” he explained.  “This is a prize I will not lose!  I need Singer’s group surrounded and closely monitored until I’m ready to flush them. We already lost Winchester and several members of Maroon 5 in Los Angeles because a group of inexperienced hunters tried to collect on one of these bounties.  I’ll not have that mistake repeated!”

            “Oh.”  Charles’s voice sounded somewhat strained for some reason.  “O-of course, Mr. Ketch.”

            “Were our agents able to get any more information from the hospital staff about Levine?”

            “No, sir.”  Now Charles sounded positively down.  “He healed that little girl, she saw him, she screamed, the staff came running, and he apparently vanished.  It’s clear he’s somehow using the angel’s Grace.  Just the fact that her tumor’s completely gone is proof enough of that! But the only thing that all the witnesses agree on was that he healed the girl and then vanished, and that it was absolutely Adam Levine.”

            “It may have been a test run,” Ketch mused. “Levine’s been altered somehow, and now we see he can use the angel’s Grace.  That means he likely has it somewhere on his person, or at least close by where he can easily obtain it.  It makes tactical sense that whatever was done to him allowed for that. Until we know just how powerful he actually is, we’ll need to approach him as if he’s actually an angel vessel himself.”

            “Should I add that to the boards?”

            “Good idea, but not just yet.  They likely consider Levine’s abilities nearly as valuable as the archangel’s.  Leave him as unknown for now.  Let them think they’ve still got that advantage.”  He waved at the tablet.  “Do you suppose Levine might qualify as this ‘Righteous Man?’  It would explain why the angel became so attached to him, altered him, and then gave him his Grace!”

            “Adam Levine’s been through a lot the past month and a half,” Charles said.  He still sounded down.  “Losing his husband, the assassination attempt, going to prison, and now he’s been on the run for weeks!  And the thing is, I’ve been following his case.  He could make most of his legal problems go away if he’d testify against his bodyguard, but he refuses to do it.  He’s suffering to help someone else.  I’d say that meets the criteria of what Cassiel would consider a Righteous Man!”

            “Perfect.  I’ll use it to break the angel.”  Handing the tablet back to Charles, he opened the door and returned to the room

            Ketch approached.  He put a hand on the angel’s shoulder, but there was no response.  The angel was well under now, his chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths.  Ketch smiled.  “Is he ready?” he quietly asked the lab assistant.

            “Yes, Mr. Ketch.  He should be highly open to suggestion now.”

            “Good.”  Ketch pulled up a stool next to the slumbering angel and leaned towards him. “Castiel?” he called softly.  “The Righteous Man is here.  Will you speak with him?”

            The angel stirred.  He shifted slightly without opening his eyes.  “My Righteous Man.”

            “Yes the...”  Ketch paused, considering.  “Your Righteous Man.  He’s here now, and he wants to talk to you.”

            Ketch had always been good at improvisation. He’d suspected that the angel was oddly fond of Levine simply because of the tremendous amount of risk and effort that had gone into protecting the singer.  The angel’s choice of pronouns certainly confirmed that.  But then the angel shattered every one of Ketch’s assumptions when he spoke.  “I love you! I’ve missed you so much!”

            For a moment, all Ketch could do was blink stupidly.  The scenerio he’d spun for Shelton had been a careful fabrication Ketch had put together, warping available facts.  The idea that it might actually be true hadn’t actually occurred to him.  Then his brain finally caught up.  Of course.  Human emotions!  Suddenly, his mind was so filled with possibilities that he could barely manage to speak. “Um, yes, Castiel, he loves you as well! And he’s missed you, of course!”

            Then once again, the angel spoke and completely annihilated Ketch’s plans.  “Dean, you shouldn’t have come.  It’s too dangerous!  But I always knew you would.  My Righteous Man, my soulmate!  You never give up!”

            _Dean._

            The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Suddenly, Ketch understood the real reason behind the angel’s refusal to speak.  An angel in love, and with a mortal man!  He never would have believed it could be possible.  And if Castiel and Cassiel really were two different versions of the same angel, then suddenly there was a very good reason for Cassiel’s choice in vessels, for his defection from Heaven, and, most especially, for what the archangel had said back at the van.

            _“You killed the Righteous Man?  It was you!”_

            Suddenly, more than ever, Ketch realized that he was lucky to be alive.  If he hadn’t gotten Sam Winchester and Shelton into a van covered with Enochian runes, and if Cassiel hadn’t somehow hurt himself burning through the manacle...? “Blind,” Ketch whispered.  “I’ve been a blind idiot!”

            The angel frowned, his eyes blinking as he pulled on his restraints.  “Dean? Where are you?  I can’t move, why can’t I move?”

            Ketch got his head back in the game fast.  He rubbed at the angel’s shoulder again. “Shh, it’s alright.  Dean will be here very soon,” he vowed.

            That relaxed the angel.  Lulled by the powerful drug, the angel’s eyes closed once more.

            Ketch got up, grabbed Charles, and pulled him back outside.  “I need a technician,” he ordered.  “Voice modulation software, and any and all audio or video we’ve got of Dean Winchester. And I need them fast!”

            Charles nodded.  “Yes sir, Mr. Ketch.  You’ve got an idea.”

            It wasn’t a question, but Ketch nodded. “We’ve done it, Charles!  We’ve found the way to break this angel, and if we play our cards right now, we can know everything!  Now make it happen!”

            Charles scurried off.

            Ketch returned to the angel.  He leaned down over him, speaking softly into his ear. “Don’t worry, Castiel,” he soothed. “Your Righteous Man will be coming soon. And when he does?  You’ll tell him everything he wants to hear!”

            An angel and an archangel, brought down by human emotions.  Days like this made all the hard work and suffering Ketch had endured in his quest against monsters worthwhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun gave the author multiple dirty looks. Mumbled something about fucking Ketch in his eyeball. Said Ketch is entirely too smart. Says he’s like Stephen Seagal because he always is one step ahead!


	9. Angel Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassiel explains his actions. The group makes future plans, and some unpleasant discoveries. The effects of taking on so much power start to show in Adam.

            Even now, Bobby couldn’t look at Cassiel and not see Castiel.  The wide-eyed innocence, the childlike naiveté, even the way he’d frown and tilt his head to one side to announce he didn’t understand was so much like Castiel that it hurt.  The weird thing was, Cassiel reminded Bobby of his boy back when he’d first become fallen and joined them.  Everything seemed new to him, and Cassiel looked a bit overwhelmed.  His green eyes were everywhere.  Cassiel hadn’t said a word on the trip to the old furniture factory where they now gathered, and he was still silent now.  He sat in a dusty booth in what had once been a cafeteria in the factory near PJ and James, hunching between them as if for protection as the group settled down to talk.

            “Cassiel, I know that you need to take a human vessel to stay on the Earth,” Lawyer Sam began.  He and Hunter Sam had arrived with a profoundly irritated Crowley shortly aver the pair had called and learned where they were.  Now Crowley was standing a notable distance from them as they all gathered to speak with Cassiel.  “And yes, you are correct that Dean did let you in.  But you admit that you tricked him, right?”

            The archangel nodded, looking serious.  “I shouldn’t have done that.  And if you, my friends, ask me to leave him?  Then I will.”

            “Alright, what happens if you leave him?”

            “I’ll have to return to Heaven,” Cassiel explained. 

            “And then?”

            “I’m certain I’ll be greeted by my brother Princes and immediately locked up.”

            The group looked sharply at him.  “You’re willing to leave Dean,” the lawyer clarified, “but if you go back to Heaven, you believe you’ll be locked up?”

            Another nod.  The archangel’s expression was solemn.  “The angels under my command would still follow me,” he explained. “My Generals are loyal.  But my fellow archangels must be furious!  They were already upset that I neglected my duties. Now I’ve turned my back on Heaven. But worst of all, I’ve stolen from Heaven.”

            The lawyer’s eyebrows went up.  “What did you steal?”

            “The most precious treasure in all of Heaven,” Cassiel confessed.  “A human soul, the brightest one in Heaven.  When I left, I knew I likely wouldn’t return.  And I couldn’t leave that soul behind.  I took it with me, and I’ve kept it ever since.”

            “Wait,” Rufus called.  “You’ve got an actual human soul with you right now?!”

            “That’s right.”  The archangel’s hands moved to his chest and began to glow.  Something rose from his chest, a gently pulsating globe of light.  He raised the globe, keeping it near, and smiled softly down at it.  “I’ve been keeping it inside of me.  I will allow no harm to come to it.  But this soul is, for me, the reason for all of this.”

            In the stunned silence that followed, Cassiel told the group the story of his most precious soul, explaining that it was the reason he’d turned his back on Heaven and gone to Earth at Castiel’s request, eventually coming to Dean.  The entire time, he cradled the soul close.  There was no mistaking the affection in the green eyes.  They never looked away as Cassiel spoke, gazing down at the shining soul as if it were the most precious thing in all the world. When he finished, silence lay over the group like a heavy blanket.  And then every eye went to Sam Squared.

            Both of them had gone a sickly pale color. But Hunter Sam was watching his counterpart, his hand on the lawyer’s shoulder.  Lawyer Sam’s eyes were glued to the soul.  “Th-th-that’s...?”

            “Your brother’s immortal soul,” Cassiel confirmed. He carefully held the soul towards Lawyer Sam, who flinched back from it.  “Don’t be afraid,” the archangel soothed.  “I awakened him when I drew him out, so he could see you.  He’s very emotional right now.  But he won’t harm you.”

            “I’m more worried I’ll harm him!” the lawyer exclaimed.  But Cassiel patiently continued to offer the soul, and eventually Sam tentatively reached forward, accepting the glowing orb.

            The lawyer’s eyes grew wide.  Then, to everyone’s surprise, he laughed.  “Same to you, jerk!” he exclaimed.  “What the hell are you doing on Earth?  Don’t you want to go back to Heaven?”  He paused, his attention fixed on the soul in an attitude of listening.  And then he smiled softly and handed the soul back to Cassiel.  “He said if he wanted to go back to Heaven he could do it right now, but he doesn’t want to.  He says he wants to stay with you.”

            “I know,” Cassiel said.  “I can hear him.”  He smiled lovingly at the soul.  Then he drew it towards his chest, where it sank into his body and vanished.

            Lawyer Sam got up and walked away a bit, keeping his back to the others.  Hunter Sam went with him, putting an arm around his shoulders and speaking softly to him for a moment.  The lawyer nodded, reaching up to squeeze his counterpart’s hand.  Then he cleared his throat.  “Dean vouches for Cassiel,” he called without turning around.  “He says Cassiel is a giant feathered idiot with no conception of human social graces, and that he’s a complete nerd who really needs to watch some movies.  But other than that, he’s a good guy and we can trust him.  That’s good enough for me.”

            Hunter Sam didn’t say anything.  He drew the lawyer into a hug, but his expression was troubled.

            Blake was busy blowing his nose.  So was Rufus, and so were a few members of the band. Bobby didn’t think they had colds any more than he did, and he was blowing his nose, too.  “So, you stole a soul,” Bobby called.  “That’s an instant jail sentence?”

            Cassiel nodded.  “No matter my rank, that won’t be tolerated.  They’ll make an example out of me, to deter anyone else from doing the same thing.  And once they find Castiel, they’ll likely just let me fade away and try to train him to take over my position.”  He looked down.  “I doubt they’ll have any further use for me.”

            PJ put his hand on Cassiel’s shoulder.  “We can’t make him leave,” he said softly. “That’s the same thing as killing him!”

            “Like he tried to kill Adam?” Jesse accused.  “No offense to the Winchesters dead or alive, but that is kind of a sticking point with me!  No matter how good of a guy he is, he tried to literally beat our front man to death right in front of us, remember?!  I still cannot believe you let him out of that holy oil, PJ, much less that you took him with us!  And James, what the hell were you thinking?!”

            “I’m thinking that I know how it feels, to desperately want to be part of a good group,” James retorted.  “It’s hardly the same thing, but joining M5, after what happened with my last band?  You don’t even know how long I was waiting for it all to fall apart!  Adam’s got some mad skills on the guitar, and Jesse, you play, too!  You guys needed me like you needed holes in your heads, alright?  The only reason I was ever made part of this group was because our producer made Adam give up the guitar and step out front.  The rest is history, but let’s face it!  From the start, I was the one member of this band who was never actually invited in!  So, yeah.  I get what Cassiel’s going through.  He went about it completely the wrong way, but he just wanted to be accepted, same as anyone else!  Yeah, it sucks that he’s gotta take Dean over to do it.  But that’s how it is with angels!  He’s got to take over someone because he’s got to have a vessel!”

            Bobby sensed rather than saw Blake looking hard at Adam while James spoke, obviously expecting his husband to say something.  But Adam remained quiet.  He simply watched, not saying a word.  Blake frowned.

            “What about my brother?” Hunter Sam challenged. He looked apologetically at Lawyer Sam. “If your Dean vouches for Cassiel, then that’s good enough for me.  But right now, he’s inside of my Dean!  Dean was in control for a few seconds.  During those few seconds, he had exactly one request – ‘Get him out of me!’  Dean was tricked into this in the first place, and now he wants Cassiel out!  This shouldn’t even be up for debate!  Cassiel, I’m sorry, but you need to get out of my brother!”

            “Hold on!”  PJ pointed towards Hunter Sam.  “When our angel was telling us about angelic vessels, Castiel told us how it was he’d gotten his.  Jimmy Novak didn’t want Castiel back inside of him once he was out.  Castiel said that the only reason Novak let him in was because Castiel had taken over the guy’s daughter!  Now, you saw that, how that went down?”  When Hunter Sam nodded, PJ pounced.  “You saw how Castiel, whatever the circumstances, forced that man to let him in to save his daughter!  Now, I know our angel needed a vessel, and it seems that whole thing weighs pretty heavily on his mind.  But it weighs heavy because it should!  So tell me now, Hunter Sam Winchester.  Did you argue with Castiel?  Did you tell him he needed to release Novak, because the way he’d gotten him was wrong?” He shook his head, seeing the look on the hunter’s face.  “Sorry, man. I know Dean’s your brother, but if you chose to stand by and not interfere while Castiel took a little girl’s daddy right in front of her?!  Then you got no business protesting now!”

            Bobby winced and straightened, seeing Sammy’s face go blank.  Lawyer Sam was cringing as he eyed his counterpart.  For a moment, no one said anything.

            “Man’s got a point,” Rufus noted at last.  “I’m with PJ and James on this one.  If we’re keeping Cassiel, he’s got to stay in a human body.  Dean’s is as good as anyone else’s.  And we do need Cassiel!  An archangel on our side is one hell of an ally!”

            “I agree,” Crowley added, surprising Bobby. “So long as he can be controlled, an archangel is quite the useful tool!”

            “Don’t call him a tool, you tool!” James snapped.

            “What I don’t get?” Matt began.  “I don’t get why we’re talking about this among ourselves and not asking the one person who’s got the most to lose!”  He turned to Cassiel.  “Cassiel? We need to talk to Dean, the living version, ok?  I don’t want to hear that he’s angry or whatever, we need to talk to him!”

            Cassiel frowned.  “He’s not angry right now,” he reported.  “But yes, he’s been telling me to let him out.  I can try?”

            “Please do!” Bobby urged.  “Let’s hear what my boy’s got to say.”

            Cassiel nodded.  Then there was the barest, slightest of changes in his face, and suddenly Dean was there.  His hands clutched at the edge of his table.  He grimaced, and the building shook alarmingly.  And then Dean seemed to relax and everything settled down.  “Holy...!  Son of a bitch!” Dean exclaimed.  “You would not believe how much juice this guy’s got!”

            Sam Squared nearly bowled everyone else over in their eagerness to embrace him.  Dean hugged them back.  “I’m alright,” he called.  “And I mean I’m really alright.  I’ve been listening to what everyone’s been saying here.  And I want you to know, I appreciate it.”

            “As far as I’m concerned, the final decision here is yours, Dean,” Blake called.  The big singer was seated sideways in another booth, Adam held tight in his lap, his blue eyes locked on Dean.  “If you want Cassiel out of you, seems to me he needs to take a hike!”

            “No,” Dean said quickly.  “We need him, and he can’t go back.  If he’d come to me and told me the truth?  I don’t know if I’d have let him in.  But now he’s in, and that’s where he’s gonna stay.  I can hold him.  Long as we take turns driving?  I’m alright.”

            “Dean, are you sure?”  Mickey was looking at him in concern.  “You were begging Sam Squared to get him out of you!”

            “He was trapping me,” Dean pointed out.  “He came in, locked me down, and kept me shut away instead of talking to me.  But he didn’t know any better!  Guy’s a Prince of Heaven.  He’s used to issuing orders.”  Dean cupped a hand over his chest, considering.  “What he did, his motives were actually pretty pure.  Cass asked him to come to me and protect us, and that’s what he tried to do.  He didn’t anticipate that I’d mistake him for my angel and...  Well, anyway, there wasn’t anything malicious.  Everyone welcomed him, thinking he was Cass, and he’d never had anything like that before.  He wanted it!  Can you blame him?”

            “Ok, I have completely and utterly misjudged you,” Farrar announced.  “Sam Squared said you were hard to get to know, but I really thought you were an asshole, Dean.  You’re anything but!”

            “He hides it well,” Hunter Sam called.  “But seriously, Dean, you’re sure about this? You know that I could...?’

            “No,” Dean said quickly.  “You’ve had enough angels shoved up inside of you for a lifetime, Sammy!  This time it’s my turn.  So long as he stops locking me down and lets me out when I want out?  I’ll share.  Cassiel and I are good like we are.”  He frowned. “Having Other Me in here’s weird, though.  Don’t know how you two do it!”

            “Because we actually like ourselves, Dean,” Hunter Sam sighed.  “Are you sure you’re ok with this, letting them stay in you?”

            Dean smiled at the twin versions of his brother. “It’s actually not as crowded as you might think.  Other Me just went back to sleep as soon as Cassiel took him back.  I didn’t even know he was in me until you called him and he woke up and helped me drag Cassiel back!  But Cassiel, he’s not hurting me, ok?  He never did!  Even when he took me over, he was, well, gentle.”

            “Gentle?”  Rufus’s eyebrows had gone up.  “A gentle possession?  What, exactly, does that look like?”

            “Honestly?” Dean retorted, suddenly irritated.  “It looks like that!”  He pointed his finger towards Blake, who was still sitting with Adam wrapped in his arms in his lap.  “It’s like that, alright?”  His expression darkened, seeing everyone staring at him.  “What else do you want me to say?  I didn’t want to be trapped, and I sure as hell didn’t want everyone to stop looking for Castiel!  But aside from that?  What Cassiel did to me, it was...”  He shrugged. “It was actually kind of nice until I realized he’d trapped me.  And now that he’s letting me out when I want out, well, it’s nice again.”  His shoulders had hunched, and his face twisted into a scowl.  “All things considered, I’d prefer to have my body to myself.  But if he’s got to be in here with me, he’s doing it kind of nicely!”

            “Dean, are you saying he’s _hugging_ you?” Lawyer Sam asked.

            “He is!” Bobby exclaimed as Dean’s scowl deepened. “That’s precisely what he’s saying! Now that’s just adorable!”

            Dean shot him a dirty look.  “Shut up!  My point is, he’s not hurting me, and it’s kind of nice.  I still wouldn’t let Sam Squared do this anyway.”

            “It feels nice because it’s Castiel,” Farrar chuckled.  “Dean and Castiel are soulmates, so it’s kind of the same thing he’s got going on with Sam Squared!  Because Cassiel _is_ Castiel.  So of course it’s nice for Dean, if Cassiel’s basically hugging him in there!”

            “I get that,” Blake sighed.  “Much as I wanted to get back to my Rockstar, I cannot begin to tell you how hard it was to let Country Adam go in Unicorn World! Damn near tore me apart!”

            “I know,” Hunter Sam agreed.  “Country Adam felt it, too, the link the two of you had. That’s why I gave him that information I found, so he could try to find our world’s version of you, Blake.”

            That made Blake smile.  He moved his head to kiss Adam, but to Bobby’s surprise, Adam turned his face away.  The rock star, Bobby realized, looked uncomfortable.  Dean may have been fine with being hugged by an archangel, but Adam was frowning, leaning slightly away from Blake.  Although he didn’t try to free himself, the overly-tactile singer appeared as if he was only just tolerating Blake’s touch.

            Bobby saw Blake frown and knew the country singer had realized it too.  The larger man looked at Adam in surprise, his arms instinctively tightening around Adam. Bobby watched with growing unease as Adam squirmed, wiggling until Blake loosened his grip once more.  Even then, Adam looked slightly annoyed, his hazel eyes looking towards an empty seat as if he’d rather be there.  Blake blinked at him.  His puzzled blue eyes glanced at Bobby, but Bobby quickly looked away.  He couldn’t be sure of what he was seeing. Until he was, he wasn’t about to upset his boy.

            “One thing, though,” Lawyer Sam began.  “I hate to bring this up, but we have no idea where Castiel is, and we’re past the new moon already!  We’ve running out of time to find our angel before the next full moon, Adam’s still got to keep burning off his Grace, and every time he does it, it drains Cassiel a little more!”  He looked apologetically at Dean.  “Dean, what happens if Cassiel is still in you when he...?”

            Again, that subtle shift in Dean’s face, and the archangel was looking out again.  “I’ll leave him before that happens, and I’ll release my soul,” he vowed.  “If my time comes to an end, I’ll not take either with me into the Empty.”

            It was almost palpable, the tension draining from the room as everyone relaxed a little.  “We won’t give up on you, angel,” PJ declared, reaching over to squeeze Cassiel’s arm.  “We’ll keep trying to get our other angel back, get everyone where they belong. But that was real good of you, Cassiel!”

            Cassiel smiled.  And then once again, Dean took control.  “That’s something I really need to see happen,” he announced.  “We have got to focus on finding Cass!  Ketch has had him now for over a week, and for most of that time, no one was looking for him!” 

            “Is he hurt, Dean?” Blake asked softly.

            Dean’s green eyes were full of pain.  “At first, yeah.  It’s better now.  But I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.  We’ve got to get him out of there, guys!  How do we find Castiel?  Where do we start looking for him?”

            Everyone looked at everyone else.  Bobby stared hard at Rufus until the agent shifted uncomfortably. “Well,” Rufus said finally, “it might help if we check out the bounty boards?  We already know there’s prices on the heads of the whole Unicorn Gang, but there’s one thing to consider.  Those boards are checked on a daily basis because it’s how a lot of hunters make their living.  They’ve got a lot of traffic, and they’re not really well monitored because they’re primarily a message board.  If there’s a weak spot in the Men of Letters computer network?  That might be it!”

            Sam’s Club brightened.  “We’ll check it out!”

            A moment later, they had Lawyer Sam’s laptop out and everyone was staring in dismay at the screen.  “Of course he knows,” Bobby grumbled.  “You said Cassiel cut through your blade when Ketch attacked him, Blake?  That means he saw that archangel blade!  He’d know exactly what it meant!”

            Blake looked heartbroken.  “I’m sorry, Cassiel,” he said humbly.  “You had to give yourself away to save us!”

            “It’s alright,” Cassiel assured.  “It was far more important that the two of you be protected than my identity remains secret.”

            “How the hell did he know who you are?” Mickey wanted to know.  He pointed at the screen, where Dean’s picture looked back out at them.  “He’s got that you’re an archangel and he’s even got your name!  And what’s this mean, ‘collaboration only?’  What’s that all about?”

            “It’s the same sort of thing that Castiel had,” Rufus explained.  “It means no hunter is to attempt to capture or kill Cassiel.  This bounty pays out to any hunter that tells Ketch where Cassiel is and lets Ketch put together a team to capture him.  It was a huge deal when it showed up on Castiel, too.  The only other thing it was ever used for was a leviathan.”

            The Unicorn Gang immediately winced.  “Aw, shit, not leviathans!” Bobby exclaimed. “Last time we went up against them, I got shot and nearly died!”

            “What the hell are they doing in this universe anyway?” Dean asked, taking over from Cassiel.  “The only reason they showed up in ours was because Cass cracked Purgatory to fight his war against Raphael in Heaven and swallowed them up by mistake!”

            “The story I heard was that some stupid witch peeked too deeply into Purgatory and one slipped out,” Rufus replied.  “It ate the witch, took on his form, and then went on an all-it-could-eat buffet tour through a small town.  Wiped out damned near everything before Ketch managed to catch it.  Then the blasted thing got out of containment and ate a bunch of Men of Letters before we locked it down again.  I was in on that one, and let me tell you, I do not want to deal with that thing again! But it bears mentioning because it proves the point.  That’s the kind of thing that warranted that stipulation on a bounty.  The fact it was on Castiel and now it’s up on Cassiel is proof positive that Ketch is being cautious with our angels.”

            “Where’s Castiel’s?” Dean asked.

            Farrar cleared his throat.  “Castiel’s not on the boards, Dean, because his bounty has already been collected.  Ketch has him.”

            Dean’s face went blank.  His body swayed alarmingly for a moment.  Then Bobby suddenly felt a wave of relaxing peace spread over him.  “The Righteous Man is in a lot of pain,” Cassiel reported.  “If there is a way to use this site to find my brother?  I’d appreciate it if you’d do so.”

            “In other words, quit screwing around and hurry up,” Farrar mumbled to himself, getting to work on the computer.  “Ok, here’s the main bounty boards, let’s see...”

            “Try that?” Lawyer Sam suggested, pointing at something on the screen.  “Admin.”

            Farrar nodded, clicking the link.  Then all three members of Sam’s Club looked at Rufus. “It wants a user name and password?”

            Rufus cleared his throat.  “Try user name ‘Lovebug’ and password ‘Muffin,’ and see where you get.”

            The three eyed him.  Then they returned to the computer.

            Bobby chuckled.  “One of yours, Rufus?”

            “No, actually, that’s one of yours,” Rufus retorted. “It’s a pseud Other You created so you could sneak around in the system without Ketch knowing what you were up to!”

            Bobby blinked.  Then he returned his attention to the computer, ignoring the rising flush he could feel in his cheeks.  He was glad for his beard.

            “Wait,” Crowley called.  “Go back to the bounties again?”

            Farrar glanced at him, confused, but obediently went back.  “You saw something?”

            “Yes, I did, and more than one!”  The demon reached forward, pointing at the screen. “That bit about collaboration only? Why do you suppose that’s on everyone now?  I thought you said most of them were listed as ‘Dead or Alive,’ so why now the collaboration?”

            “That is a damned good question,” Blake declared. He was frowning, looking at Rufus, who appeared puzzled.

            “Frankly, I’m more concerned about that!”  Crowley pointed again at the screen.  “There, Adam’s bounty!  Why is Adam on these boards, and worth more than Cassiel?”

            That got everyone’s attention.  Farrar quickly clicked on Adam’s picture and brought up the information.

            “Angel vessel,” Blake read with a groan.  “They know!  They fucking _know!_   How do they know?!”

            “Have you seen the size of the bounties on that board?!” Rufus spat.  “You guys have every hunter in the nation after you!  And with all the guys you got here, it was a matter of time before someone made a mistake.  Hell, Ketch had a meeting and flat-out told the hunter captains to go after the band!”

            “What?”

            “Why us?”

            “Because you’re inexperienced, that’s why!” Hunter Sam growled.  “It’s not your fault, guys, but let’s face it, you’re not used to living under the radar. If anyone’s going to make a mistake that gives us away...?”

            “Nice job!” Adam snapped, glaring at his band. “What did you do, text someone you shouldn’t have?  Snuck out to a payphone to talk to your families?  Yeah, I figured as much!  How fucking stupid could you be?!” he went on, seeing the guilty looks.  “You didn’t think they’d be watching for texts, bugging your families?  You may have just as well put up a fucking billboard!  Way to go, assholes!  Now those fuckers know exactly what I am, and we’re up shit creek!”

            The band looked shocked.  Jesse looked almost ready to cry.

            Blake frowned at his husband.  “Adam, what the fuck?  Yeah, it’s bad, but there ain’t any point to screaming at them like that! They didn’t mean anything!”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Thanks, Blake!  That will be a great comfort to me if Ketch locks me up and throws away the key!”

            Blake looked taken aback.  “Adam!”

            Rufus quickly cleared his throat.  “It doesn’t matter how they found out.  And it may not have even been the band.  Castiel has been held prisoner and he’s trapped in a human body.  It’s possible Ketch could have extracted this information from him.  And then there’s the fact that you’ve all been driving those expensive cars, or they might have gotten the information about this computer from Winchester’s law firm...?  Hell, there could have been half a dozen or more ways they found out!  Ketch is ruthless, and for that much money?  Some of the hunters in this country would hunt their own mothers!”

            “What the hell is wrong with those idjits?” Bobby wanted to know.  “Ketch was never as bad in our universe as he is here, and that’s bad enough.  But are the American hunters really so beaten down that they’re fine with not one, not two, but _three_ angel bounties and not a word of explanation?!  And don’t get me started on the band!  They’re innocent, Rufus!  Even Ketch has to know that!  So what’s wrong with the hunters that they’re fine with hunting down a group of innocent musicians just to get these bounties?!”

            Rufus sighed deeply.  “It didn’t used to be like this.  Hunters used to have morals, values.  There’s a reason they had non-human hunters!  But when Bobby Singer went down, Dean Winchester is the only one who dared stand against Ketch, and look what happened to him!  Now the ones who think and act just like Ketch thrive, while the rest of us just keep our heads down and do what we can in the shadows.” His eyes fixed on Bobby.  “Bobby, this is hardly the time or place for this, but I’m doing it anyway.  I want you to think about staying.  Now, wait a minute,” he called, raising his hand as Bobby’s jaw dropped.  “I know you got your own life in your own universe, and you’re too old and crotchety to start a revolution.  But just think about it!”  He smiled fondly at Bobby.  “You could do some real good here, Singer.  The true hunters, the ones who are honestly in this to protect humanity and are still decent folk?  All they need is a leader, someone to unite them, and they’ll stand against Ketch!”

            “So why the hell don’t you do it?!”

            “Because I don’t have your charisma, your brains, or frankly, your balls!” Rufus retorted.  “It was always you, you stubborn old bastard!  You were the real heart and soul of the American hunters, and when you got cut out, well, you see what happened.  You want to go home, and I get that.  But if you can’t, well, aw shit, I missed you, you old goat!”  Rufus looked away, disgusted.  “Enough with this bullshit.  Cassiel, how about the angel joy juice, huh?  Yeah, that’s my boy!  Ok, Sam’s Club, do your thing, and everyone quit staring at me!  Show’s over, I ain’t gonna dance next!”

            Everyone was indeed staring at Rufus.  Farrar managed to tear his eyes away and go back to the computer, although it was clear he was struggling not to smile.  “Ok, trying that user name and password...”  He blinked, his blue eyes wide in surprise. “Holy shit, it worked!  Hey Sams, look at this!  That got us right into the system!”

            Sam Squared was already leaning in, their heads crowding Farrar’s.  “Jackpot! We need to save this before we get kicked out.  Sam, grab a thumb drive!”

            “I got one!  Ok, Sam, start copying.”

            “Already on it.”

            “Sammy, are you any good at financial shit?”

            “No, Sam, that’s your job.”

            “I can help with that.”

            “Thanks, Sam!  This is going to be a lot of work, but we can do it if we work together.”

            “You know it, Sam!”

            “Ok, I have no idea how those three even function!” Blake complained.  “This is worse than listening to the band!  At least they’re not all using the same damned name...  Aw shit, sorry Cassiel!” Blake groaned as Cassiel narrowed his eyes and the band yelled in protest.  “I’m tired, buddy.  We’re all tired, and I’m hungry.”

            “True story,” Jesse sighed.  “Let’s eat, huh, guys?”

            Bobby glanced over at Jesse and frowned. Normally, Jesse was the most cheerful member of the band, always quick with a smile and eternally friendly.  But now, there was no trace of Jesse’s smile. His blue eyes looked sad and hurt, and were locked on something to Bobby’s right.  Bobby looked and saw Adam.  Adam was pulling free from Blake, looking irritated as Blake tried to take his hand.  Now he was moving away from Blake to join Crowley.  The demon was smiling in a way that made Bobby want to punch him. Meanwhile, his boy was looking after his husband, hurt and confused.  Fortunately the angel saw it, too.  Cassiel moved to Blake and put a hand on his shoulder, and Blake immediately relaxed.  The archangel was certainly proving himself useful.  But as Bobby’s eyes again moved to Adam, he saw him walking away, listening to whatever Crowley was telling him.  He saw how Crowley’s hand rested on Adam’s shoulder, and Bobby couldn’t help the chill that went through him.

            The sooner they got Castiel back and got his Grace out of Adam, the better they’d all be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks someone should just stab Crowley. Thought it was cool when Cassiel pulled out the soul. Said PJ certainly told Hunter Sam! Laughed really hard about VW Bobby’s pseud and password. Gave the writer a look when Rufus asked Bobby to stay. Said that shocked him. Laughed about him being “too old and crotchety to start a revolution.”
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> The story told by James here of how he became a member of Maroon 5 is true.
> 
> In "Supernatural," Bobby Singer dies after being shot fighting the leviathans. They are among the few things in the show capable of destroying angels.


	10. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley makes his point, and his move

            “Can we please address the elephants, plural, in the room?” Crowley asked.  The demon had managed to find a bottle of brandy somewhere and had poured some into a crystal decanter.  He appeared to be admiring it as he spoke.  “This lovely, damp, moldy, poorly ventilated room?”

            “I know it’s not ideal!” Rufus grumbled. “This factory’s been abandoned for years, ever since the business went under!  But it’s pretty much all we got left.  The shelter we could have stayed in for a solid month.  It even had its own generator and plenty of gas, but this place?”  He shook his head.  “We lose this place, and our next stop may very well be a cardboard box!”

            “We can make supply runs easy enough with two angels,” Matt pointed out.  The drummer had been busy looking over their lists.  He had a notepad on his lap and a pen in his hand he was using to write. His other hand continued its gentle petting motion as he spoke.  “But we’re actually fairly well stocked.  Seeing as how one person in this room decided to grab two other people in this room and take off when he thought there might be trouble, we had extra room to pack supplies in the cars!  Too bad we had to leave the instruments behind, though.”

            “Did you really punch him in the face, Sammy?” Farrar wanted to know.  His eyes were shining.  Like Matt, his hand never ceased its motion.

            Hunter Sam raised his free hand and jerked a thumb towards Lawyer Sam.  “Actually, Sam did.”

            “Awesome!”

            “Oh, indeed, it’s always just chuffing lovely when someone punches the demon in the face,” Crowley complained.  His eyes were on his bottle.  “Never mind the bloody archangel who nearly _killed_ one of the people in this room, but apparently we are ignoring one of the elephants I mentioned earlier!”

            Blake rolled his eyes.  Everyone had just calmed down after their discoveries and Adam’s behavior earlier.  He’d been hoping for an uneventful remainder of the evening.  But apparently, the demon wasn’t about to let that happen.  “Crowley, you got something to say, say it!”

            “Finally!  Someone listens to me!  I rather feel as if I’ve won something!”  He handed the decanter to Hunter Sam.  “First, a gift for _not_ punching me in the face. And I thought you were the hothead of the pair of you!”

            Hunter Sam stared flatly at him.  “Thanks,” he said, taking the drink.

            “On to business.  First, am I the only one who finds it decidedly, well, uncomfortable, seeing this going on right in the middle of the room?”

            “What?” PJ asked.  “This?”

            “Yes, that!  _That,_ what you’re doing with them!” He pointed a finger accusingly at Cassiel and Adam.  The two were lying face-down on the floor with Blake, the band, and Sam Squared gathered around them.  Both had their wings slightly outstretched, and both appeared to be half-asleep. Matching lazy smiles were on their faces as multiple hands stroked through their feathers.  That had been Blake’s idea.  It served two purposes.  First, it relaxed the two angels and the band.  But second, and Blake’s real reason for the suggestion, was giving him a chance to get a good look at Adam’s wings.  What he saw gave him pause.  Adam’s wings were well over halfway white now, probably closer to two-thirds.  The coloration was spread uniform over his wings, resulting in a bit of a spotted look. But it was still alarming. Cassiel’s wings remained snowy-white. Where Adam’s had looked like shadows, Cassiel’s were like mist.  Blake couldn’t see any visible damage to the archangel’s wings, but he knew that didn’t mean much.  The damage would likely be on the inside.  Between the color of Adam’s wings and the weird way he’d been acting, something had to be wrong.

            “You do realize, I hope, that their wings are the one part of an angel that’s actually the angel, right?” Crowley continued. “There is no human equivalent in their vessels!  So you’re basically stroking naked angel bits on Murder Machine there, and as for Adam?” He shuddered.  “I’m King of Hell, and even I think that’s just plain wrong!”

            That seemed to irritate the band.

            “Bite me, Crowley!”

            “I’m not passing up a chance to play with angel wings, ok?”

            “Besides, they like it!”

            “Stop being creepy about it!”

            “It’s just something that relaxes them!”

            “Oh, it clearly _relaxes_ them!  Indeed it does!”  Crowley made a face.  He was pouring more drinks and passing them out.

            Blake accepted one and tasted it.  The brandy was exceptional.  “Where’d you get this?”

            “My stores, probably,” Rufus grumbled.  “He didn’t help at all with the packing or getting out of there, but he sure took stock of the Hunter’s Helper!”

            “He actually took stock of a lot of things,” Lawyer Sam grumbled.  “When he grabbed me and Sammy, he took us to some cave somewhere, I think.  It was just this big natural cavern with no obvious way in or out.  And he kept us there, even after I punched him in the face!  He wouldn’t let us go until Sam finally pulled his angel blade and threatened him!”  He looked at Crowley.  “You know, Crowley had quite a number of interesting things there, things that I honestly would like to discuss more?”

            “As I was saying, Adam and Cassiel seem to be enjoying this,” Crowley said quickly.  “But what about Dean?”

            “Do you want to talk to Dean again?” Cassiel asked pleasantly.  His expression seemed to subtly shift.  The green eyes flew open, their owner raising himself up slightly as he let out his breath in a hiss.  “Aaaaaah! That feels so weird, but don’t stop with the wing grooming, ok?”

            Sam Squared exchanged a grin over the wing they’d been petting.  “I think he’s ok with it,” Hunter Sam announced.

            “Seems that way,” Lawyer Sam agreed.

            “I’m fine for now, but don’t get me wrong, I would very much like for this to be over and for him to get out of me,” Dean admitted.  “Being a vessel sucks!  But at the same time?  It’s _Cass,_ you know?  I mean it’s not, but it is!  It’s the same nerdy angel, just, you know, way more powerful.  And honestly, more nerdy than usual!”  He shook his head, chuckling.  “He’s in there now, complaining that he doesn’t understand why Other Dean and I keep calling him nerdy.  But we’ve been talking.  PJ, James, you guys did a good thing.  Cassiel’s fallen now, just like my angel.  If he goes back to Heaven, there’s no telling what the God mob will do to him.  That means when he left, it was a one-way trip! And for him to stay on Earth, he needs a vessel.  He needs me, and so long as he’s willing to share and not just keep me locked in all the time?”  Dean’s shoulders sagged.  “Like I said, we’ll make the best of it.  And there’s a lot of good to it.  He gives great hugs, and...  Aaaah, yeah, right there, James!”  Dean relaxed back on the floor, a blissful expression on his face.  “This shit’s better than any backrub I’ve ever had!”

            “Yes, lovely, darling, so glad to have you’re enjoying.  It’s still quite creepy, can we move on, now?” Crowley called.  The demon was still handing out drinks, and now he handed one to Bobby.  “Because the fact remains that, while a charming nerd he may be, Cassiel is not Castiel.  As far as we know, Ketch still has everyone’s favorite trench coated flyboy.  And he won’t give him up without a fight!  Which leads me to the next six-foot-four perfect-haired elephant in the room.”  He turned and looked hard at Lawyer Sam.  “I’m sure we’re all very impressed with your skills as a lawyer, mate, but let’s face it.  No lawsuit is going to stop Arthur Ketch. That is going to take fighters. You are not one!”

            “Hey asshole, we’re not exactly prize fighters, either,” Farrar called, bristling.  “Why are you getting on Sam’s shit?!”

            “Because while you may not have another option? Our resident legal expert most certainly does!”  He turned and indicated Dean.  “Cassiel, it appears, is willing to share, at least on a temporary basis.  I can attest that our Dean is a fighter, and we saw what Cassiel is capable of.  Does anyone else see what an utter waste it is to have both of them occupying the same space, when we have an alternative vessel readily available for immediate tenancy who could benefit greatly from Cassiel’s fighting abilities?”  He smiled at Lawyer Sam.  “Since Cassiel now seems willing to allow the vessel to take charge now and then, we wouldn’t even lose your lawyer skills!  Perfect solution all around!”

            Lawyer Sam looked startled.  Then he frowned.  “You mean let him into me?  I-I suppose I could...”

            “No way!” Dean yelled.  His wings were gone now and he was up on his feet in a fighting stance, pointing accusingly at Lawyer Sam.  “Sam’s got a wife and three little kids!  He is _not_ playing host to an angel and making himself a target for that motherfucker Ketch!  Cassiel stays with me!”

            “Careful, Dean,” Rufus began.

            Dean held up a hand.  “No.  Cassiel’s in me now, and as long as he agrees to share, that’s where he stays.  End of discussion!”

            “I agree,” Hunter Sam said.  He’d also gotten up and was standing next to Dean, frowning at Lawyer Sam.  “I cannot imagine a single scenario where I would be on board with Sam being an angelic vessel.”

            “I appreciate the concern, guys, but Crowley makes a valid point,” the lawyer said.  “I’m no fighter, but you are, Dean!  If Cassiel comes into me...?”

            “No!”  Dean had his mad face on now.  “Drop it, Sam, it ain’t happening!”

            “You’re doing well with your sparring lessons,” Hunter Sam encouraged, sitting back down and picking up his drink again. “But Dean’s right.  We’re already on Ketch’s radar, and that’s the only reason he went after you.  We can’t give him any reason to set a bounty on you, not with Jess and the kids in the picture!”  He quickly downed his drink.  “Besides, if Dean needs a break, we can always use me.”

            Crowley was pinching the bridge of his nose. “Bollocks!  Whatever, put your silly sentiment above practical use.  But you’ve stumbled over elephant number three. Letting Montgomery Moose host Cassiel is an excellent idea for the reasons I just stated, but letting Bullwinkle do it is quite out of the question.  Especially now!”

            Blake was about to ask why when Adam suddenly leaped to his feet.  His eyes were glowing with angel Grace.  Dean had changed as well, Cassiel’s eyes blazing as he and Adam stared at Hunter Sam. Hunter Sam appeared frozen.  His green eyes took in the sight of the two angels, and then moved to the glass he’d just drained.  “Crowley?  What the hell did you do?!”

            “What needed to be done,” Crowley declared.  “I suspected you lot wouldn’t have the stones to do the logical thing with Cassiel, but I knew for certain that you’d all object to the one sure way we have to find our precious Castiel!  You see, Ketch would be prepared and fully warded against our angels, but, as we discussed previously, he likely has no idea of what I can bring to the table.  And I have no doubt at all that he’s completely unprepared for you, Sammy, me boy!”

            Lawyer Sam went still.  He clutched at Hunter Sam’s arm as the hunter continued to stare, frozen, into his empty glass.  “Sammy? Tell me you’re ok!”

            “Of course he’s ok!” Crowley sighed.  “He’s _better_ than ok!  I just gave Captain America his super soldier serum!”

            Bobby lunged at Crowley, slamming the King of Hell against the wall.  “Oh, you _bastard!_   Adam, Cassiel, can you help him?”

            “What the hell is wrong with him?!” Adam asked, alarmed.  “He always had a bit of a dark taint to him, but now...?”

            “It’s worse,” Cassiel agreed.  “It’s so much worse, and it’s not getting better!  And Dean is so angry!”

            Bobby gave a cry and started punching Crowley. “Why?  Why the hell did you do it?!”

            Crowley calmly caught the old veteran’s fist, coolly meeting the furious glare.  “I did it because no one else would,” he said.  “Cassiel, I am reasonably certain you only took over because you’re trying to protect your friends, but I thank you none the less.  The one flaw in my plan was how I was going to keep Squirrel from blasting me into a greasy spot!  But now?” He pried Bobby’s hands loose from his jacket.  “Now, I need you to listen to me very carefully.  Dean, you are the only one who is capable of reaching Castiel through whatever wards Ketch may have.  But even now, you don’t have the ability to see him.  There’s only one thing that can see over great distances and through wardings, and that’s...”

            “...A psychic.”  Hunter Sam’s eyes were still locked on his glass, and his voice was low. “When I was a baby, Azazel fed me some of his blood and changed me, gave me psychic powers.  They’re latent, waiting inside of me, but demon blood brings them out.  That means, if I drink demon blood?  I’ll have those powers again!”

            Faces paled as realization spread through the room.

            “That fucker put some of his _blood_ in that brandy?!”

            “I just drank it!”

            “I did, too!”

            “Oh relax, it’s only in his!  Giving it to you would do no good at all,” Crowley spat. “Not even that much of my blood would have made a difference with you lot!”

            “How much?” Bobby wanted to know.  “How much of your filthy blood did you just give my boy?!”

            Crowley rolled his eyes.  “The entire glass was blood, spelled to look, smell, and taste like brandy!  I had no idea how much he’d need, so I went for the full undiluted shot.  And it appears to have worked!”  He shoved a devastated Bobby aside and moved towards Sam Squared, his eyes fixed on the pale form of Hunter Sam.

            He hadn’t taken more than two steps before he went flying backwards.  Crowley sprawled on the floor and blinked, looking up at Blake.  “How dare you!”

            “I dare,” Blake said.  “Believe me, I fucking dare!  I might just do more than punch you!  What the hell did you just do to Sammy?”

            “He’s corrupted him,” Lawyer Sam said softly. He was clinging tightly to his counterpart’s arm.  “Now he’ll have his powers again, but the cost...!”

            “Don’t worry, Moose!” Crowley said, getting back up. “I’ll keep you supplied, one way or another, with all the demon blood you need.  Whatever it takes to keep those brilliant powers of yours up!”

            “You son of a bitch!” Dean roared.  “Those powers nearly destroyed Sammy!  He got addicted, his mind got warped, and he nearly died, just so Azazel could trick him into freeing Lucifer and make him into the perfect vessel!”  He started forward, his hands clenched into fists.

            Crowley quickly stepped back.  “It had to be done!  Don’t be hasty, you need me!  Adam?!”

            “Dean!”  Adam moved fast, grabbing Dean and slamming the surprised hunter back against the far wall hard enough to crack the drywall.  “Crowley is right!  Ketch knows everything that we can do as angels, ok?  Wherever he’s taken Castiel, you know it will be warded.  Your brother is the only one who can see past the wards! Don’t you want to see your angel? And I need him to be found, too, because I am seriously over having his Grace inside of me!  I need him to come back, take it out of me, and then he and Cassiel can hash things out between them.  We’re going to need a psychic to see where he is, right?  So unless you’ve got another psychic in your back pocket, this is all we’ve got!”

            Dean shoved him back.  “Adam, what are you doing?  Did you know Crowley was going to do this shit?!”

            “I knew he was going to do something,” Adam admitted.  “I didn’t know what, but he asked me to step in and help him if you went after him.”

            “You’re siding with that son of a bitch?!” Dean roared.

            “I’m saving the guy who saved my life!” Adam shot back.  “I don’t see you helping me, Dean, but he can!  So no, I didn’t know what he was going to do.  But it’s too late now.  We need your brother’s powers, and we need Crowley, and I’m not about to let you fuck it up because you’re worried about poor little Sammy! 

            Dean’s face flushed with fury.  He shoved Adam, sending the rockstar stumbling back.  “You want to go another round, asshole?!”

            “Sure!” Adam challenged as everyone yelled in protest. “Go ahead, attack me again!  Drain Cassiel some more, ruin another hiding place, and bring Ketch and all the angels after us.  And your brother will still have demon blood in him!  It’s done, he’s a psychic now, we need him, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  So back off, Dean!”

            “Really, Dean, do use your brain for once in your life?” Crowley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “I’ve just added a powerful new weapon to our arsenal, one Ketch knows nothing about!  Just accept your good fortune and let’s do move on!”

            “I don’t fucking believe either one of you!” Dean yelled, looking between Adam and Crowley as more yelling rang out. “Sammy’s an addict!  Giving that shit to him again is going to get him addicted again!”

            “Then we’ll deal with it later!” Adam snapped. “If your brother’s a psychic now, we can use him to find Castiel.  So get your head out of your ass and accept a gift when you get it!”

            “Adam!” Blake yelled, shocked.  Adam ignored him.  Blake sighed, hearing the increasingly hostile shouts and threats as the group reacted.  Then he whistled loudly.  “Alright, enough!” he yelled.  “Ok, this is complete and utter bullshit and Crowley, so help me, you’re paying for it. But unfortunately, it’s done.”

            He turned to Hunter Sam.  The hunter still hadn’t said anything.  He hadn’t moved and was still staring into the empty glass. “Sammy?” Blake called quietly.  “Can you do this thing?  Will you be able to see past the wards?”

            Sammy quietly nodded.

            Blake grimaced.  “Then at least we got that.  I’m sorry, buddy.  But will you let Crowley use your powers to try to find our angel?”

            Once again, the silent nod.  The hunter’s green eyes never left his glass.

            “At long last, the voice of reason!” Crowley cheered.  He was smiling as he started towards Hunter Sam again.  “Now, let’s make some plans, shall we?  We’ve got this wonderful new option now, and we should utilize it wisely! I imagine you’ll need at least tonight to adjust, and tomorrow we can give you another hit.  Then we can...”

            Once again, Crowley went flying, propelled backwards by an unseen force.  But this time, it was Hunter Sam who had his hand out.  “Don’t come near me now, Crowley,” the hunter snarled as the room fell into shocked silence.  “You know what I can do to demons!”

            “Yes,” Crowley managed.  “Yes, of course!”

            The hunter dropped his hand, and Crowley tumbled to the floor.  Hunter Sam stared again for a moment at his glass.  Then he hurled it across the room.  Everyone scattered as it hit the wall and smashed, the spell breaking, revealing the bloody shards that decorated the warehouse floor, smeared the wall.  Blake felt sick.  It was true. Crowley really had just tricked Hunter Sam into drinking an entire glass of his blood.

            And apparently, the effect was real as well.

            Hunter Sam was on his feet, storming towards the door. He reached for the doorknob, gave it a yank, and stared at the door as it ripped loose from its hinges.

            “Sammy!” Dean called quietly.

            Hunter Sam glanced at him, and then quickly looked away.  He tossed the door aside and started out.  Lawyer Sam raced after him.  “Sammy!”

            “Stay away from me, Sam!”

            “But...!”

            “I said _stay away!”_   The hunter stormed out.

            Lawyer Sam hesitated a moment.  Then he ran out after his counterpart.

            “Don’t, Dean,” Bobby called, seeing Dean start out as well.  “Sammy needs time by himself.  I guess Lawyer Sam kind of counts, but I hope he knows what he’s doing!  You know when he’s on demon blood, your brother’s got some issues with impulse control.”  He kicked at a shard of glass.  “Balls! This is a mess!”

            “So, what is this?” Mickey wanted to know. “We already had a faux angel, and now we got a faux demon?”

            Crowley scoffed.  “There’s nothing faux about Sam Winchester!  Azazel worked for years on him and the other children he’d altered, developing them to be the perfect vessels for Lucifer.  Our Sammy is the cream of the crop, powerful enough to exorcise or even destroy a demon with little more than a thought!  He even took on the first demon herself and won, remember, Dean-o?”

            Dean didn’t answer, and Crowley’s smile turned gentle.  “It’s tough seeing him like that I’m sure, but there really was no other way.  I’ll keep him supplied with blood, and you and Adam can help him keep his powers under control!  We...”

            It was almost too fast to see.  Dean launched himself at Crowley, and Adam immediately moved to intercept.  There was a crash, and suddenly Dean was on the floor in a tangle of broken shelving.

            Everyone froze as Dean got back up.  Adam stood where he was, remaining protectively in front of Crowley.  But Dean didn’t attack again.  Instead, he collapsed onto a chair and buried his face in his hands.  “I’ll help him,” he announced.  “I’ll do whatever he needs, but this isn’t going to be easy. Sammy’s been off that shit for years, and detoxing him almost killed him!”  He glared at Crowley, who looked suddenly more confident with Adam standing guard.  “Relax, Adam,” Dean called.  “I’m not gonna touch the son of a bitch.  He’s the only one who can give Sammy his demon heroin.  But once we’re through this, and we detox Sammy?”

            “I know, horrible death, got it.”  Crowley looked surprisingly unconcerned.

            “Wow, you guys are seriously complicated,” James said.  Somehow, that seemed to sum up Blake’s feelings exactly.

            “Adam, you have got yourself some problems,” PJ began. “First you scream at us, then you defend Crowley after what he just did?!”

            “Crowley saved my life,” Adam explained.  “He can help me!”

            “Cassiel can help you!”

            “You mean the archangel that already tried to kill me once?  The one in the guy I just threw into that shelf?”  Adam scoffed.  “Yeah, he’s done a great job so far!”

            “Adam, you gotta give him a chance!” Jesse encouraged. “No matter what, it’s got to be better than what Crowley can do!”

            Crowley snorted.

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “I just love how you can give me advice on shit you know nothing about.  I’m the one who’s got this Grace inside of me, and I’m the one Ketch apparently wants even more than an archangel!  So unless and until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes, do me a favor and keep your teeth together?”

            “Adam!” Blake exclaimed, seeing Jesse’s eyes go wide. Adam scowled.

            “You know,” Matt called, “I get you’ve got ample reason to not trust Cassiel all that much.  I get you’re under a huge amount of stress.  But Adam, the rest of us kind of are, too.  We’re on the run, away from our families and our lives, primarily because of you!  Could you maybe settle down just a little bit?”

            “Matt, I know you’re one of the ones who contacted your family and probably gave me away!” Adam snapped.  “So honestly, I don’t want to hear it!”

            Matt simply stared at him.

            PJ shook his head.  “I’m surprised at you, Adam,” he said quietly.  “Surprised!”

            “Well, I have to say, the lawyer didn’t seem too surprised,” Rufus noted.  His face was set in a deep scowl he directed at Bobby and Dean.  “Kind of seems to me like he knew exactly what had happened! So why the fuck didn’t I know, huh? Is there anything else you’d like to tell me, gentlemen?”

            “Bobby?”  Mickey was wide-eyed.  “Do you have any powers we need to know about?”

            “What?!  No! Balls!”  Bobby was scowling fiercely.  “And I didn’t tell you about Sammy because I never thought there’d ever be a point where you’d need to know!”

            “We kind of need to know now!”

            “What else don’t we know?”

            “So what, we got an archangel, a pseudo angel, a demon, and now a vampire?”

            “Sammy’s no vampire!” Blake yelled.  “But I don’t give a shit what he is right now.  Frankly, I cannot take anymore!  This whole day has been like one big nightmare, and this cowboy has had enough!  I’m going to bed.  I suggest you all do the same, and we’ll talk in the morning.”  Blake grabbed Adam’s hand, but then he paused.  “And Crowley?” he called.  “If you ever try anything else like that ever again to anyone else? I will fucking end you myself!” With that, he stormed off, half-dragging Adam towards the section of the factory they’d designated as their bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun says Crowley is pulling shit and is absolutely not trying to help them. Whatever he’s doing with Adam, he’s trying to pull his shit again. Swore quite a bit at Crowley when he realized he just made Sammy drink demon blood. Then laughed until he had tears in his eyes when Sammy went after Crowley. Crowley clearly forgot he just created a guy who could kill demons with his mind! “That’s priceless, how fucking dumb?!” Said it was too bad about the addiction thing, but that was great! Figured out that Adam was somehow in on all that. Says he worries now that Sammy’s going to have to go through being addicted all over again. Said something's definitely wrong with Adam, he's being a real dick to his band!
> 
> Ok, you were right, drinking things from Crowley was a bad idea after all!
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Sam's powers were very impressive! Here's a video that shows a bit of what he could do. Yes, before he arrived, this particular very powerful demon was knocking Castiel around, but when Sammy got there...?
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAGA0px0AE&frags=pl%2Cwn


	11. Empathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The corruption of Adam's soul becomes clear

            Blake pressed Adam down into the makeshift bed, caressing and kissing the tattoos on his chest as he continued to thrust his hips.  “Oh Rockstar,” he groaned.  “I thought I’d lost you today, baby!  That would have ended me for sure!”

            Adam didn’t answer.  His fingers carded through Blake’s hair, his back arching up as Blake drove into him. Blake had made short work of Adam’s clothing the moment they’d reached their makeshift bed on a short stack of pallets.  Now he was buried deep inside of his husband, riding the smaller man.  “You like this, baby?”

            “Yes!  More, please!”

            “You’re beautiful!”  Blake took Adam’s hips, thrust deeper.  “I love you so much!”

            His aim was good.  Already, Adam was crying out, hot liquid splashing against Blake’s stomach.  Blake grunted, and a moment later he was releasing deep in Adam’s body.  He’d needed this, the last bit of normalcy he had left.  He’d needed to get his hands on his husband, to feel Adam underneath him, needed to hear those familiar little cries as Adam took everything he had to give.  Spent, Blake lowered himself down until he was lying on top of Adam, supporting most of his weight with his elbows so he could wrap his arms around Adam. Reaching up, he cupped the back of Adam’s head and kissed him.  “I love you.”

            Adam turned his face away.  “Yes, love you, can you get off of me please?”

            Blake blinked in surprise.  “What’s wrong?”

            “I’m all sticky.  I want to get cleaned up.”

            “Adam, you know I always clean you up!”

            “Yes, but you take a while, and sometimes you fall asleep.  I want to get a shower.  Let me up.”

            Blake blinked again, and obediently climbed off of Adam.  Adam got up and headed, naked, across the hall to the emergency shower.  There was little privacy in the factory.  They’d moved old shelves around and thrown sheets over them to make walls so that the couple could be alone together.  But Adam had just strolled out in full view of anyone nearby.  Well, Adam never was afraid of showing his body.  God knew he had a good one.  But normally, in a house full of people, Adam would be considerate enough to at least wrap a towel around himself.  He hadn’t even taken his clothes with him.  Well, to be honest, Adam could just angel them over.  But that seemed foolish, and an unnecessary risk, considering what Cassiel had told them.

            Troubled, Blake cleaned himself up, got dressed, and gathered up Adam’s clothes. He brought them over and put them onto a nearby shelf.  Then he stood for a moment, watching as his husband washed in the emergency shower. “Hey, Rockstar?” Blake called. “You ok?”

            “Yeah, I’m almost done.”

            “Something you want to talk about?”

            “No, why?”

            “Nothing,” Blake answered.  “It’s just, you always wanted to cuddle, Adam, after we’d make love.  Hell, you always wanted to cuddle full stop!  But earlier, you kept squirming like you didn’t want me to hold you, and now you wanted up as soon as we finished!”

            “Blake, when you’d cuddle me before, it would help me sleep.  But now, I don’t need to sleep.  So what’s the point?”

            Blake raised an eyebrow.  “I don’t know, because it’s nice?  And don’t forget, I still sleep!”  He smiled softly.  “I’d sleep a hell of a lot better if you’d just stay with me, let me hold you until I nodded off?”

            “Just use a pillow, Blake!  Leave me alone, ok?  The guys got that old TV in the cafeteria working and there’s a show on tonight I wanted to watch.”

            Blake’s smile vanished.  He straightened, looking hard at the figure in the shower spray.  “What’s wrong with you?  Adam, talk to me!”

            “Blake, can I just finish my shower please?  If you’re going to be this much of a nag about it, I’ll come back and let you cuddle me after my show.  But by then, I imagine you’ll probably be asleep.  Do you really want me to wake you up so you can cuddle me so you can sleep? That makes zero sense!  So unless you want to have sex again, I really don’t see a reason for me to go back to our room, ok?”

            Blake frowned.  “So no to just letting me hold you until I fall asleep, but it’s fine to come and cuddle with me if we have sex again?!”

            “Yeah, until we’re done!”

            “So sex yes, cuddle no?”

            Adam had finished with his shower.  He shook like a dog, combing his hair with his fingers, which was suddenly dry. He quickly pulled on his boxers and jeans.  Then he looked over, saw Blake still watching him, and leaned back with a smile, obviously showing off for Blake.  “I like sex, Blake.”

            “I know you do, but you like cuddling even more!” Blake exclaimed. “This isn’t like you, Adam!”  His voice grew soft.  “Don’t you want me to just hold you, give you kisses?”

            Adam gave a long-suffering sigh and reached for his shirt.  “Blake?” he called, pulling it on.  “You seriously need to get over constantly having your hands all over me!  Unless you want to have sex again, I have no interest in cuddling, alright?  Now please leave me alone!  I just want to go watch my show!”

            Now Blake frowned.  “Thanks a lot!”

            “You’re welcome.  Sweet dreams.”

            “Yeah.”  Blake returned to the room, feeling unbelievably hurt and rejected.  It almost would have been better if Adam had punched him with all his angel-enhanced strength!  His husband seemed like another person, a stranger in the body of the man Blake loved.  Even in their worst fights, Adam had never been so callous.  And where the hell did clingy, tactile, lap-sitting Adam Noah Shelton-Levine get off telling Blake he needed to get over constantly having his hands on him?! Nothing about this made any sense. Blake’s stomach was churning.  He sat on the makeshift bed they’d created, listening as his husband headed out.  Soon he heard the television turn on.  At least Adam kept the volume down.

            Blake tried lying down, but only stared up at the ceiling.  Finally, he got up and went to the cafeteria.

            He expected to find Adam there in front of the television, but it was Dean. Dean smiled when he saw Blake. “Hey!  You’re up late.  Everyone else is asleep except for us, Adam, Crowley, and Sammy.”  His smile faded.  “Sammy’s still with Lawyer Sam.  Sam finally nodded off about half an hour ago, but Sammy’s just lying there with his head on Sam’s lap, staring off into space.  I tried to get him to talk to me, but...”  He shook his head.

            “Sorry, buddy.”  Blake was. That was a vivid reminder that they had much bigger issues than the ones Blake was having with his husband.  But it was still Adam that dominated his thoughts. He gave the hunter a tight hug, and received a smile.  Then he sat down across from him in the booth.  “Dean, um, would you mind if I spoke with Cassiel a moment?”

            “No problem.”

            Just like that, the archangel was smiling pleasantly at him.  “What can I do for you, my friend?”

            Blake shivered.  “Ok, I’m gonna be honest with you, Cassiel.  When you call me ‘your’ anything after what you did?  That still creeps me out!  Now I kind of understand why Dean got so grouchy over everyone staking claim on his angel.”

            The smile faded, pain rising in the green eyes.  Blake immediately felt bad.  “Aw shit, I’m sorry, buddy!  It’s just, what you did to me, after we both thought you’d killed Adam?  That’s not something I can just forget, alright? Not you trying to kill Adam, or the way you tried to lay claim to me.  But I’m not here to ride your ass about that, ok?  I shouldn’t have even brought it up.”

            “It’s alright,” Cassiel soothed.  “I’m aware, now, that my plans for you and the others were fatally flawed. I’m learning, Blake.  I thank you for your patience, and I know I did something unforgiveable when I attacked your husband.”  His eyes grew downcast.  “I just hope, in time, I can someday earn your forgiveness, if not your friendship.”

            Blake reached out and gave the archangel’s arm a squeeze.  “We’re gonna try to start over, buddy.  And we can start with this conversation right here.” He leaned forward.  “Cassiel, I need you to explain what’s happening to Adam.”

            Cassiel gave a sigh.  “He’s already hurting you.  Isn’t he, Blake?”

            “What?  No, he’s not...”  Blake’s voice trailed off, unable to continue when the green eyes fixed on him.  The singer wilted.  “Yeah.  It’s not an intentional thing, like he’s trying to hurt me or anything.  But he really is!  It’s like...”  Blake rolled his lips into his mouth, considering.  “It’s like he has no regard for me at all anymore!  He still wants sex, but we always were big cuddlers, you know? Now, he doesn’t even want to lie down with me!  He’s grown cold towards me.  For fuck’s sake, he was more interested in watching television than he was in spending any more time with me!”

            “Adam no longer feels the connection with you that he used to have,” Cassiel explained quietly.  “He’s drawing away because of what’s happening to his soul, Blake.  What was gradual before is now apparent because he’s taken so much from me, and it’s altered a large portion of his soul. He’ll walk away from you first, but I imagine the others, if they haven’t already felt that coldness you mentioned?  Will feel it soon enough.”  He frowned. “It seems they already felt it earlier. They appeared surprised when he yelled at them.”

            “So you think he’ll draw away from everyone?”

            “I have no doubt at all.”

            “Then what’s he going to do?” Blake asked helplessly.  “Where’s he going to go if he walks away from all of us?”

            “I can’t say,” Cassiel admitted.  “I think a great deal will depend on how others react to him.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean that Adam is very much alone,” Cassiel sighed.  “It’s something I can understand all too well.  He’s a being unique to himself.  Without the ability to empathize with others, I imagine he’ll only be interested in what companions can do for him.  And that’s why he’ll hurt you.  He’ll take, but he’ll only give if he sees value in it.”

            “That ain’t Adam!”

            “Blake?”  Cassiel’s voice was maddeningly calm.  “Adam isn’t Adam anymore.  And my greatest fear, the thing I was trying most to protect you from?  Is that he’ll deteriorate to the point where if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll simply take it.”

            “Take it?”

            “The way I tried to do, and worse.  Because I never intentionally wanted to hurt you, Blake, or any of the others.  Nothing hurts me more than the knowledge that I’ve hurt you!  But if Adam continues to deteriorate, he will no longer care. He’ll take what he wants, and it won’t matter to him who he hurts to get it.”  The archangel ducked his head.  “Blake, I mean no offense to you, but there’s no other word.  Adam...  He’s turning into a real assbutt!”

            Despite the situation, it took everything Blake had to keep a straight face. The archangel was wincing, looking at Blake like a child using a dreadful Bad Word in front of a parent.  Somehow, Blake managed to give him a solemn nod. “That he is, buddy,” he declared. “That he is.”

            Cassiel slumped.  “I’m sorry, Blake.  That’s a terrible thing to say about the man you love, but it’s true!  I can try to speak with him, see if I can get him to see reason.  Right now, he still sees me as useful, and potentially dangerous to him.  But that won’t last much longer.  In truth, the only one who stands any real chance to reach him is you.”

            Blake straightened.  “Alright?”

            The green eyes were serious.  “Blake, you’re his soulmate.  While Adam is losing more and more of his soul to the corruption, what’s left is still strongly linked to you.  If you can remind him of that, bring out what’s left of the real Adam?  It’s the only thing that can bring him back.”

            Blake considered that for a moment.  “Thanks,” he said.  “I’ll take your advice.”

            Cassiel’s face broke into a happy smile.  “Blake, I would do anything to help you!  I love you!”  His eyes grew wide.  “A-as a friend, of course!  A non-creepy friend, not the kind that still creeps you out!”

            This time, Blake couldn’t hide his smile.  “To be honest, Cassiel?  The more I talk to you, the less I can remember that you ever creeped me out.”

            “Are you ill, Blake?” Cassiel asked anxiously.  “Amnesia can be a serious symptom!  Here, let me try to heal you!”

            “I’m fine,” Blake laughed, waving the confused archangel’s hand away.  “I just mean that it’s practically impossible to not like you once a person gives you a chance, gets to know you.”  He got up, moved over, and hugged Cassiel. Cassiel hugged him back.  The archangel, Blake noticed, hugged the same way Blake himself did.  He pulled the other person in tight, leaning towards them, putting his whole body into the hug.  Even his hands were placed exactly like Blake’s.  With a start, Blake realized that the archangel had learned how to hug from him, and his heart melted a little more.  No wonder Dean thought he was a great hugger!  Grinning, Blake turned and planted a kiss on the side of Cassiel’s head, and was delighted when the archangel almost immediately copied the motion.  He chuckled. This was going to be interesting. Pulling back, Blake got up.  “I should check on everyone.  You know where they all got off to?”

            Cassiel rattled off everyone’s location.  Blake frowned.  “Thanks.” He started outside.

            Hunter Sam was still awake, but he didn’t look up.  He was lying on Lawyer Sam’s lap, with Sam Farrar crowded up against them both.  The hunter glanced towards Blake, but didn’t say anything.  Blake knelt down and gently touched the hunter’s shoulder. “I’m here, Sammy,” he said quietly. “I’ll be here all the way, alright?”

            No answer.  The green eyes simply looked dully up at him.

            Blake squeezed his shoulder, tucked the blanket further around him, and went back inside.  He quickly peeked in on the others.  Then he took a deep breath and went out back, to where Cassiel had told him Adam was speaking with Crowley.

            Blake did not care for the fact that Adam was with Crowley.  He cared even less for how close the two were standing. The way Crowley rested one hand on the small of Adam’s back made Blake’s hackles rise.  And Blake positively abhorred the way Crowley’s other hand gently stroked Adam’s arm as he spoke.

            The two looked up as Blake approached, Crowley with a pleasant smile and Adam with no expression at all.  Blake quickly put his arm around his husband.  “What’s going on?” he called, pulling Adam away from Crowley with a bit more force than necessary.

            Crowley frowned.  “The lovely lad and I were just having a chat.”

            “That so?” Blake challenged.  He tightened his arm around Adam and stood to his full height, glaring down at the demon. “What about, exactly?  And why was it that Adam felt the need to lie to me about watching TV when he was obviously only interested in coming out here and talking to you?”

            Now Adam was frowning.  “We’re having a private conversation, Blake.  Did you need something?”

            “Well, since you’re not watching your show you were in such an all-fire rush to see earlier, how about you come to bed with me?  Night, Crowley!”

            Adam’s frown increased.  “Blake, I... Hey!  For fuck’s sake, Blake, what’s your damage?!”

            Blake was all but dragging Adam away, storming further into the warehouse away from everyone else.  His heart was pounding, and the blood was roaring in his ears.  Once he was out of Crowley’s hearing, he turned to Adam. “Adam, you do not know that bastard,” he began.  “I told you the shit he did to me, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg!  Hunter Sam and Dean and Bobby can tell you stories that would make your hair fall out!  You cannot trust that son of a bitch, no matter what he says!”

            Annoyed, Adam pulled away.  “Ok, a couple of things.  One, I know exactly what he is and that he’s not trustworthy.  That’s why I am the one who asked to talk to him!  I told you I wanted to watch a TV show because of item two. And item two is this – it is none of your fucking business, Blake!”

            “None of my business when the King of Hell is setting his sights on my husband?!”

            “Setting his...?”  Adam stared at Blake.  “Holy shit, Blake, are you seriously jealous of Crowley?!”

            Blake breathed through his nose.  “The way he was touching you, and how he keeps calling you ‘lovely lad?’ That piece of shit needs to keep his sulfury hands to himself or he’s going to find himself missing a few fingers!”

            Suddenly Adam was all over him, kissing him fiercely.  “You’re actually jealous!  That’s hot as hell!”

            For a moment, Blake forgot everything else and focused on kissing Adam back.  But then he came back to his senses and somehow managed to push Adam away. “Stop, Rockstar, just listen a moment! We need to talk about your behavior lately.”

            Adam blinked.  “My what?”

            “You’re acting like an assbutt!”

            “Excuse me?!”

            “You were kind of cold to me on the phone before you fought with Cassiel,” Blake explained, finally managing to think coherently again.  “But since you fought, since you took on more of Cassiel’s power?  It’s so much worse!  Adam, it’s like you don’t care about anyone anymore, not me, not your band, not anything! Except Crowley, for some reason!”

            Adam’s head cocked to the side.  “I don’t care anything for Crowley.  He’s useful. If you must know, I went to him to see if there was any way he knew of that I could burn off Grace without alerting the angels.  Since I took on more of Cassiel’s power, it’s a lot worse than it was, Blake.  I used to be uncomfortable after about twenty-four hours.  Now, I’m lucky if I can go for ten without it starting to feel like it’s gonna burn me up inside!  So I asked him if he had any advice.  He was just suggesting something I can try, a way I might be able to siphon off some extra power without sending up a flare to Heaven.  And he’s also offering me an option, an alternative plan in case, for whatever reason, Castiel can’t take his Grace back out of me.  I’d be an idiot not to consider it, Blake!”

            “Baby, you’re missing the point!” Blake pleaded.  “Adam, you don’t even see what it is you’re doing now, do you?  I could not believe the way you talked to your band tonight!  Do you even know what they’re all doing right now?”  He started ticking off his fingers.  “Jesse’s sleeping all alone in a corner, and it looks like he cried himself to sleep.  Mickey got shitface drunk on Crowley’s brandy and now he’s passed out in one of the booths in the cafeteria.  Matt wouldn’t leave Bobby’s side.  He’s crashed out by him and Rufus now, and Cassiel said he’d been talking to Bobby about leaving the band.  Leaving the band, Adam!”

            Adam shrugged.  “If that’s what he wants, I can’t make him stay!”

            “That’s the point it’s gotten to now!” Blake stressed.  “And I don’t think for one minute he’s the only one thinking about it, either.  PJ and James were praying all night, and do you know where Sam Farrar is?”

            Adam gestured.  “He’s outside with Sam Squared.  Bobby and Matt and Rufus took blankets out and covered them up before they turned in.”

            “So you know how bad Hunter Sam is right now, and that they’re still outside?!”

            “They’ll be fine unless it rains, but the skies are pretty clear.  Who cares if they sleep outside?”

            “See, there it is again!” Blake exclaimed.  “Adam, you’re the only one in this group who hasn’t gone out there to check on Hunter Sam outside of Crowley, and Crowley’s only staying away because Dean threatened to smite him if he went anywhere near Hunter Sam before sunrise. Any other time, you would have been out there!  And what about Jesse?  Jesse’s been your best friend since y’all were in school.  I just told you that I honestly think he literally cried himself to sleep, and you won’t even check on him?!”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Ok, fine, I’m an asshole, or an assbutt, or whatever, is there a point to this conversation, Blake?”

            “My point is, you’re not yourself!  Your band is falling apart, this group is about to unravel, and you can’t be bothered to give a shit!  This Grace, it’s corrupted you so much you’re acting like someone else, someone I don’t know and frankly don’t care much for!”

            Adam grew still.  “What are you saying, Blake?  You said the band wants to break up, and now you want a divorce?”

            “What?!  No, I don’t want a divorce, I want you!  The old you!”

            “Yeah, well, tough shit!” Adam yelled.  “You don’t get to criticize me, Blake, not when you have no fucking clue what I’m going through!  I’m the one carrying this thing, alright?  Me, not you!  And yes, it’s changing me.  It’s the power of an angel, of course it’s going to fucking change me!  And guess what?  Castiel told me clear back when we first discussed this that some of the changes could be permanent!  You need to get it through your thick redneck skull that this just might be the new me, and decide what you’re going to do about it.  Because if you can’t handle me now?  Then maybe you need to reconsider this marriage!  No, keep your hands off of me!”  Adam backed away, raising his hands when Blake instinctively reached for him. “The jealousy thing is hot, but dragging me away the way you did is anything but!  You don’t fucking own me, Blake!  You don’t dictate what I do, you don’t tell me who I can and can’t talk to, and if you ever put your hands on me like that again, I will fucking break you in half!”

            “Adam!  Enough!”

            Blake had no idea when Cassiel had arrived, but the archangel was suddenly standing between him and the furious stranger wearing Adam’s skin.

            And now Crowley was here as well, appearing from nowhere to put a hand on Adam’s shoulder.  “Indeed, that’s quite enough,” the demon soothed.  “You’ve awakened everyone with your little lovers’ quarrel.  Come now, everyone back to your corners.”

            Blake blinked, and Crowley and Adam were gone.  He gasped, looking frantically around.  “Where’d they go?”

            “The roof.  That’s probably for the best.”  Cassiel was using his angel valium again.  “Blake, you need to calm down, my friend.  You can’t reach Adam like this.”

            This time, Blake welcomed the archangel’s power.  He grabbed for Cassiel’s shoulder, trying to benefit as much from it as he could.  “I fucked up, buddy.  I just made things worse!  I don’t know what to do!”

            “Yes you do, Blake!”  Dean, back in control.  “You know how you reached him before, how you told him how you felt?  You sang him a song!  Let him go for tonight, try to get some sleep.  Then tomorrow, when everyone’s calm and it’s just the two of you? Sing him a song!  Because if you can’t reach him with that golden voice of yours, Blake?  Then there’s no hope for him!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun says he’s worried too, something is definitely off, making Adam aloof. Said “Wow, honeymoon’s over!” when Adam was telling Blake to just use a pillow because he wanted to watch TV. Said if this was us, his heart would be breaking. Laughed about Cassiel calling Adam an assbutt. Thought it was really cute when Cassiel got worried Blake would think he’s creepy and said Cassiel and Castiel are peas in a pod! Wanted Sammy to bounce Crowley around. Agrees with jealous Blake and has advice for him on terrible things he can do to Crowley. Laughed when Blake called Adam an assbutt. Says he doesn’t like Dean’s plan because it’s letting Crowley have too much time with Adam.


	12. Psychic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lawyer Sam struggles to help Hunter Sam, who must use his powers to find Castiel

            Sam woke up with a start.  At first, he had no idea where he was.  Something heavy was on his lap, something warm beneath his hands.  He looked down and saw Sammy.  Sammy was lying on his side, facing away from him with his head in Sam’s lap.  Sam had fallen asleep with one hand gently tangled in Sammy’s hair and the other resting on the hunter’s arm, just below his shoulder.  At some point, someone had covered them both with blankets.  Glancing down, Sam saw the top of a head poking out of another softly-snoring blanket.  Dean?  No.  Dean was an angel vessel now, and had no need for sleep.  Those shaggy locks belonged to Sam Farrar.

            “Morning, darling.”

            Sam looked over and saw Crowley approaching.  His hands tightened on Sammy, but the hunter, he realized, was already awake.  For all Sam knew, he’d never been asleep at all.  Sammy didn’t move or make a sound, simply tracking Crowley as the demon approached.  His green eyes looked lost.  Sam frowned. “Stay away from him!”

            The demon ignored him, his gaze locked on Sammy.  “Oh now, there there,” Crowley soothed.  “Starting to hurt, isn’t it, darling?  Don’t worry, I’ve got what you need.”

            That finally affected Sammy.  The hunter reached up, snatching the vial out of Crowley’s hand and quickly gulping down the contents.  Sam felt like throwing up.  He could only watch helplessly as Sammy looked in despair at the empty vial.

            By now, Farrar was awake too.  The musician sat up with a startled gasp.  He took in the sight of Sammy, the empty vial, and the smirking demon.  Then Farrar glared at Crowley, balling his hands into fists.  “Stay the fuck away from him, Crowley!”

            “Oh, nonsense, Sidekick, that’s the last thing he needs!”  Crowley crouched down and carefully took the vial out of Sammy’s hand.  “There now, that’s better isn’t it?”

            Sammy whimpered and covered his face with his hands.

            Sam quickly pulled him up, drawing him into his lap and wrapping his arms around the hunter.  Farrar was on his feet, shoving at Crowley.  “Get out of his face, would you?!  Yeah, I get he needs you, and frankly, that’s the only reason I’m not asking Sammy for his angel blade!  I never wanted to actually take someone’s life before, but I do now!”

            “Yes, sport, it’s lovely how you want to protect your dear mate.  Now run along and join the rest of the Get-Along Gang, would you?”  Crowley smiled again at Sammy.  “Feeling nice and strong again?  Because your big brother and his feathery houseguest are back there looking at me as though they’re strongly considering something decidedly foolish and unfortunately permanent.  So let’s do get on with things?  I think that dear Castiel has waited quite long enough, don’t you agree, Squirrel?”

            Dean literally growled.  Sam hadn’t realized he was there, but was glad to see him.  Then Dean looked anxiously at his brother.  “Sammy?  You up for this?”

            “Yeah.”  Sammy’s voice was barely a whisper, but already he was pulling free from Sam to reach for Crowley’s offered hand.  “Let’s do this.”

            Sam accepted a hand from Farrar and got to his feet.  The two of them immediately started following Sammy, but the hunter raised a hand.  “Don’t,” he advised.  “I really appreciate your support, but I gotta learn how to control my powers first, and I don’t want you two anywhere in range!”

            “He’s right,” Dean agreed.  “I’ll go with him, just in case things get out of hand.”

            “Not necessary,” Crowley called.  “That’s what he’s for!”  He indicated Adam, who was waiting up ahead, leaning casually against the wall of a broken shed.  Adam smirked at Dean in a way that made Sam blink in surprise.  Then he winked, turned, and followed Crowley and Sammy into the shed, pulling the door behind them.

            Sam turned to Dean.  He didn’t care at all for the way Dean was biting his lip and clenching his fists.  “What the hell was that about?” he wondered. “Something happen between you and Adam?”

            “Adam’s not doing well,” Dean mumbled, not meeting his eyes.  “And Crowley, naturally, is taking full advantage of it!  Blake’s going to try something later, see if he can’t bring Adam back to his senses. I got him a little something to help.”

            “But what was up with that look and the wink?” Farrar pressed.

            Dean sighed.  “Adam got an idea from Crowley and worked out something with Cassiel last night that’s helping them both a little.  It’ll keep Adam from having to risk exposure to burn off his Grace, and help shore Cassiel up a little.  But it’s anything but permanent and frankly, I hate it!  Adam and I have already had some words about it, and we’ve only had to do it once.  Not looking forward to next time!”

            “I hope something works!” Farrar snapped.  “Because frankly, I’m nearly as ready to punch Adam right now as I am Crowley! The way he talked to us yesterday? You want to start something with me, fine, let’s start!  I’ll admit I contacted my family and told my wife way more than I should have told her. But to say that shit to Jesse? Jesse!  He’s the nicest guy I know, wouldn’t say shit if he had a mouthful! He was out here last night, checking up on Sammy, and he looked like he’d lost his best friend.  Because he has!  I got no idea who that fucker just now was, but it sure as hell isn’t Adam Levine!”  He glared at the shed.  “Frankly, unless he gets a major change in his attitude and soon?  I don’t know that I want anything more to do with him!”

            “Don’t do anything rash yet,” Sam warned.

            Farrar only grumbled in reply.  The musician was in the process of re-tying one of his shoes when he heard Dean gasp. “What’s that?”

            Farrar straightened, and then looked back down.  “This?  It’s something Lawyer Sam gave to me.  He said it was his brother’s.  Do you like it?”

            Dean nodded, his eyes locked on the amulet that dangled from a cord around Farrar’s neck.  “Yeah, I had one exactly like it that my brother gave to me!  You know what it is?”

            Farrar indicated Sam.  “He said it was to help me find some faith.  I assumed it was some kind of protective charm?”

            “It’s more than that,” Dean explained.  “Castiel said it’s kind of like a beacon.  It glows in the presence of God.”

            “I wanted you to have it because you said you didn’t believe,” Sam explained, seeing Farrar’s eyes on him.  “Even if you don’t believe in God, well, he still believes in you!”

            The blue eyes regarded him for a moment before returning to the amulet. “I appreciate that,” Farrar said at last.  “I really do. I know you and Hunter Sam are both believers, so that, plus the fact this was your brother’s?  That tells me this is important to you.  It means a lot to me, that you gave it to me.”  The musician carefully tucked the amulet back into his shirt and smiled.  “I prefer to think of it as a reminder that I’ve got some good friends who really care about me, though.  That means more to me than God.”

            “I kind of wish it was glowing right now, though,” Dean said quietly.  His green eyes were troubled as he looked at the shed.  “Sammy could use some divine assistance for sure!”

            Sam looked and saw that the shed where Sammy had gone with Crowley and Adam was shaking.  Then a blood-curdling scream filled the air.  It sounded like it had come from a woman.  Sam stiffened.  “Dean, what’s going on?!”

            “Crowley and I went out hunting last night, and we brought back a demon captive,” Dean explained.  His voice was still quiet.  “I took out her friend and Crowley swears up and down that no one saw us, but it was still a hell of a risk.”  He sighed, seeing the looks he was getting.  “Look, it was me or Adam, and I couldn’t risk Adam!  Trust me, I’d like to kick Crowley’s ass for putting us all in danger like that, but he’s right.  He needs a way to keep Sammy’s powers up without draining himself.  I’m betting Crowley drained her almost dry so he’d have plenty to feed Sammy.  And now he’s using her for Sammy to practice on.  That’s why he didn’t want you two to see it.”

            Once again, Sam felt sick.  He started towards the shed, but a hand caught his arm.  Sam looked, expecting it to be Dean, but it was Farrar.  “Don’t,” he warned.  “Sammy doesn’t want us to see him like this.  We should respect his wishes.”

            Sam clenched his fists.  Then he turned to Dean.  “Dean, I need to ask you a favor, well, you and Cassiel.  And you might not like it.  I still need to discuss it with Sammy, but I suspect he’ll agree because it’s something we already talked about.”  He licked his lips.  “I need you to make us identical, Sammy and me.  A-and not just the tattoo, or taking off the mark from my wedding band.  I mean every scar, every tan line, every blemish, every stray hair so that there’s no possible way Ketch can tell us apart!”

            Dean’s head went to the side, and his brow furled.  “Are you sure about this?  Maybe you should talk to your wife?”

            “I intend to,” Sam assured.  “First I just need to know if you can do it?”

            “Cassiel can, yes.”

            “Why would he want to?” Farrar wanted to know.  “Sam, this is stupid, especially now!  What’s happening with Sammy...?”

            “...Is precisely why I want to do it now,” Sam insisted.  “Because now it’s more important than ever that he be protected! I know it’s risky.  And it might not even work!  But I have to try, because Crowley’s right.  I-I’m the weak link!  I’m no fighter, and now that S-Sammy’s...”  He swallowed. “I know that, chances are, Ketch will just take us both.  He may have planned that all along, even if he could easily tell us apart like he can now. B-but if there’s any chance that I can trick him into taking me instead of Sammy?  Then that’s what I want to do!”

            And now the angel was smiling at him.  “You are a Righteous Man, Sam Winchester.”

            “You’re a crazy son of a bitch, Sam Winchester!” Farrar corrected with a scowl. “But if this is really what you want to do, then serious respect, brother!”  He shook his head.  Then he looked over at Cassiel.  “Hey, Cassiel, are you alright, buddy?  Adam’s wings are really changing over!  What’s that mean for you?”

            “I’m dying,” Cassiel replied calmly.

            “And he’s dying fast!”  Dean was scowling now.  “Since the fight with Adam, the drain on him has gotten a lot worse.  Now he admitted it’s nearly as bad as it was with Cass! Being around Adam helps, though. Adam’s acting like a generator, so Cassiel’s able to use his own powers without knocking himself too hard.  And believe me, my archangel still has all his power!  But Cassiel himself?”  He shook his head.  “He’s fading fast.  I don’t know how long he’s gonna last!  My archangel’s dying, and the only way I know to save him is to get my angel back and get us all back into our own universe!”

            Sam went still, and Dean suddenly froze.  “Sam?” Dean called softly.  “I want to stay.  Believe me, I want to stay!  But I need my angel, and my archangel...?”

            “I understand.”  Sam forced a smile.  “Hey, a guy can dream, right?”

            “We got time, right?” Farrar asked.  “Maybe we can find another way!”

            Sam’s smile became more genuine.  “Always a chance!”

            A loud whoop came from the shed, Adam cheering.  And a moment later, Sammy himself came storming out.  He caught sight of Dean and froze for a moment. Then he nodded.  “It’s stronger now,” he reported.  “Crowley thinks it’s a combination of Azazel being alive in this universe and the fact that the normal demons here are like unicorns to me. Drinking their blood is like 200 proof! Whatever the reason, I can barely control it!  I used to have to focus hard to take out demons, and now it’s minimal effort.  And when I open up my senses?”  He shook his head.  “It’s almost overwhelming!”

            “Which means, if you reach out for your angel and your brother focuses on you, he should have no difficulty sensing dear Cassie,” Crowley announced. “Add in a simple scrying spell, and voila!  We’ve got the location of our wayward angel.”

            Sammy nodded.  “Then let’s do it!”

****

            Sam wondered what his life had become, that he was seeing his third spell being cast and considering it to be largely routine.  Crowley was directing everyone, pleasantly telling the others to move this shelf there or bring this mysterious ingredient onto the table here. Sam wasn’t much help.  He stayed with Sammy.  “You’re not disgusting,” he told the hunter quietly.  “And you’re not a monster, either.”

            “And I thought I was the one that was psychic!” Sammy grumbled.

            “You are, and the reason for it is awful, but it isn’t something you chose,” Sam insisted.  “Right now, it means we’ve got a chance to help Castiel, and that’s a good thing. Then afterwards, I’ll be right here to help you through the detox.”

            Sammy immediately looked away.  “I don’t want you to see that.”

            “I’m not leaving you.”  He reached out for the hunter’s arm.  “You’re wrong, Sammy.  You are me in your universe!  The same demon who did this to you is here, and he could just as easily have done it to me. And I’m not leaving you!  When this is done, I want Cassiel to change us, like we talked about.”

            Now Sammy’s head snapped up.  “Sam, ‘We’ did not talk about that, ok?  You talked about it, and I said it was a bad idea!”

            “And if our positions were reversed, you’d do the same thing,” Sam insisted. “This isn’t about you and me, ok? This is about what our friends here need.  B-because if Ketch came storming in here right now, all I could do is threaten legal action that we both know won’t scare him.  You’re the one who’s got a chance to stop him and save everyone!”

            “By sacrificing you?!”

            “That’s my choice!”

            The hunter sighed.  “Sam, I cannot talk about this right now, ok?”

            Sam raised his hands.  “Backing off.”

            That earned him a smile.

            In the end, the entire process was remarkably easy.  Dean and Sammy sat in chairs facing each other, with Sammy holding onto Dean’s hands as he closed his eyes and reached out for his angel.  But Sam didn’t like the way Sammy’s jaw clenched. He quickly moved forward and took the hunter’s shoulders.

            Dean, on the other hand, lit up like the sun when Crowley’s scrying spell resulted in a small puff of flame from the map.  “Did it work?”

            “Yes!”  Crowley examined the map as everyone gathered around.  “He’s somewhere in this area.  And if Bullwinkle can give us a few more details...?”

            Sammy was the only one besides Sam who hadn’t raced for the map.  He seemed fascinated by his folded hands.  “A big group of buildings,” he reported.  “Chain link fence with razor wire, like a prison. It might have actually been a prison because there were guard towers.”

            Sam Farrar was pouring over another map.  “There’s an old prison complex here, but it’s not in the burned area,” he reported.  “It’s just outside of it!  How exact is the spell?”

            “Depends entirely on the powers of the psychic.”  Crowley’s eyes were fixed on Sammy.  “What else did you see?  Oh come now, don’t be shy!” he called as he saw Sammy’s eyes flick to Dean.  “No point in hiding anything now!”

            “Tell us,” Dean encouraged.  “What did you see?”

            Sammy pinched his lips.  “I think it was some kind of lab.  There were a lot of people in lab coats, computers, that sort of thing.  And Cass, I think he was in some sort of chair, like a dentist chair?  He...” He glanced at Dean again and then quickly looked away.  “He was strapped into it, and I could hear a rattling sound, like chains, any time he tried to move.  He had something here.”  He indicated his arm.  “I think it was an IV, something going into his arm.”

            “He’s being drugged,” Dean confirmed.  “I knew that somehow.  He’s there, but he’s all messed up!”  His green eyes were anguished.  “What the hell is Ketch doing to my angel?!”

            “Trying to break him,” Rufus sighed.  “Drugs to help wear down his defenses, restraints...  I assume someone’s talking to him?”

            Sammy nodded.  “Yeah, and that’s the weird thing.  Because it’s Dean that’s talking to him!”

            That got everyone’s attention.  Dean straightened.  “Well, Sammy, he was talking to me because I was reaching out for him!”

            But Sammy was shaking his head.  “No, Dean, that isn’t it.  He thinks he’s been talking to you for some time!  And before you ask, no, I don’t know what he’s saying.  But someone’s asking him questions in your voice, Dean. And Cass thinks he’s talking to you. He’s answering them, because he thinks it’s you!”

            “Son of a bitch!” Rufus swore.  “Ketch figured out that there’s a connection between Castiel and Dean!  Not good.”

            “No, it’s not,” Bobby agreed.  “If Cass thinks he’s talking to Dean, there’s no telling what he might say!”

            “We gotta find him!”  Dean was up, looking hard at the map.  “Come on, there’s got to be something?”

            “Well,” Matt ventured, “we could check out this prison?  But we’d have to be real careful that we don’t...  _Dean!”_

            Dean had vanished in a flutter of wings.

            “Don’t follow him!” Blake roared, pointing at Adam.  “If he gets caught, we can’t risk losing you, too!”

            “Oh please!” Crowley scoffed before Adam could reply.  “As if Adam was that stupid!  Really, did anyone not see that coming?”

            There was another sound of fluttering wings, and Dean was back.  He looked profoundly disappointed. “Nothing,” he reported.  “It’s just a bunch of broken down buildings! Not a soul out there!  _Fuck!”_  He angrily swept his hands across the table, sending spell components flying.  “Where is he?  Where the hell is my angel?!”

            “He’s there, Dean,” Bobby replied quietly.  “He’s somewhere in that area that Sammy burned on the map.  Now it’s just a matter of finding where, figuring out how to get in, and getting him out.  And we will!  We will get Castiel out, do you hear me, boy?”

            Dean paced around in a small circle, clutching at his hair and taking slow, deep breaths.

            “I actually have an idea where to start looking.”  Mickey ducked his head shyly as all eyes turned to him.  He licked his lips.  “Ok, maybe this is a long shot, but you said this place was some kind of lab, right?  With a bunch of computers and stuff?”  When Sammy nodded, he continued.  “Well, it seems to me that a place like that would need to use a lot of power.  So what if Sam’s Club focused on that area, looking for places that use a lot of electricity?”

            “Mickey?” James called.  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I really want to kiss you right now!”

            “Actually, that’s a good idea,” Adam said.  “Just not Mickey!”

            Dean’s head shot up.  “Adam, we need to...”

            Shocked silence fell over the room.  Adam had come over, grabbed Dean by his hair with one hand and his chin in the other, and was kissing him.  Dean twisted his head and shoved him back.  “Stop, get off of me!  Blake doesn’t understand!  You can’t just do that shit right in front of him!”

            Adam looked irritated.  “Why not? You’d prefer I went out and blasted a few craters in the ground?!”

            “No, Adam, but we had this conversation!  We need to sit down with Blake and explain...”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Cassiel, would you please just take over a moment and help me out here?”  And then he was kissing Dean again.

            This time, Dean didn’t push him away.  In the stunned silence of the room, Adam held the kiss for a time. When he drew back, his eyes were glowing.  “Thank you!”

            “Blake, it’s not how it looks,” Cassiel sighed.  He, too had glowing eyes.  “Adam’s Grace is still growing out of control, and since he took so much from me, it’s worse now than ever.  If he kept trying to burn it off as often as he needs now, he’d give himself away for sure. And meanwhile, I keep getting weaker. So we thought, if he gave me his extra Grace...?”

            “By kissing?”  Blake’s voice was dangerously calm.  The big man was so still he barely seemed to even breathe.

            But Cassiel was undisturbed.  “It was Crowley’s idea, but he’s right.  The easiest way to take some of his Grace would have been to cut his throat and draw it out. But since Adam isn’t a true angel, I had no way to know how badly that could hurt him.  He could, essentially, bleed out!  But if he did it like this, opened himself up to me and let me draw the extra Grace out of him...?”

            Blake hadn’t moved or changed expression since Adam had kissed Dean.  Now he simply rose abruptly and stormed off.

            Cassiel looked after him, concerned.  Then he looked at Adam and frowned.  “You shouldn’t have done that, Adam.  Dean is extremely upset!  He told you that we needed to discuss this with Blake as soon as we were finished here!”

            “And we were finished, and guess what?  Discussion over!” Adam retorted.  “Dean’s been a bitch about this from the start, but I don’t get what your problem is, Cassiel.  This helps us both, ok?  So next time just shove Dean down, shut up, and take it!”

            Suddenly Adam went sailing back to slam into a shelf.  The rock star blinked in surprise, and then his eyes blazed as they fell on Sammy.  The hunter was standing protectively in front of Cassiel.  “You stay away from my brother!” Sammy snarled.

            And then it was Sammy’s turn to go flying.  “Make me!” Adam challenged.

            _“Enough!”_ Crowley roared.  “There’s no point in this!  Adam, stand down, and Dean, would you kindly get a leash on your brother?! While you’re at it, put one on yourself, and on the sexy cowboy as well!  Adam and Cassiel are able to help each other.  That’s between them.  There’s no room for you and Sexy and all your...”  He grimaced.  _“Feelings!”_

            “You’re no match for me anyway, Winchester,” Adam called, straightening his jacket.  “And you know it!”

            Sam had run to Sammy, who didn’t appear much worse for the wear beyond looking furious.  But now Cassiel had stepped between them and Adam.  “Adam?” he began.  “This isn’t you.  You need to...”

            The archangel paused as the sound of guitar playing came from further in the factory.  He brightened.  “You need to go and see your husband!”

            Adam waved a hand dismissively.  “I got nothing to say to him.”

            “Adam?”  It was Jesse. The musician had come storming up to Adam and was glaring into his eyes.  “Go and see Blake!”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Fine.” He headed towards the sound of the guitar.

            “How’d he get a guitar?” Sam asked.  He’d just finished helping Sammy up from the remains of the shelf.

            “Dean,” Cassiel explained.  “He went back and got it for him.  He’s got an idea about how Blake might be able to reach Adam.”

            “I hope it works,” PJ grumbled.  “Because frankly, unless something changes soon?  I don’t believe I want anything more to do with him!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said “Ow. Way to just break the band up!” Made his mad face about Crowley and the blood and what was going on with the shed. Did not like Adam’s smirk. Has a theory about why Dean didn’t find anything, but was completely unsurprised when he took off. Liked when Sammy threw Adam, but is still iffy about which of them has more power. Got a mad look about Adam kissing Dean right in front of Blake and Blake storming off.
> 
> Yeah, I know, I'm a bitch. I intend to post a second chapter tonight to resolve this before I go incommunicado for a day or so, so nobody panic.


	13. Goodbye Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake tries his best to bring Adam back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, double chapter.
> 
> Shout-out to Country Music Freak for giving me Blake's song!

            Blake mindlessly strummed his guitar, playing nothing in particular. He knew without looking up when Adam had approached, but he didn’t acknowledge his husband right away.  His mind was lost in his memories, happy times with Adam, both before and after they started dating.  So much of his life was entwined with Adam’s.  The idea of going on without him tore Blake apart even as it terrified him.

            “I was told to come and see you?  Ordered, actually.”

            And now Blake glanced up.  Adam was there, standing across from Blake as Blake sat with his guitar, staring at him. Blake couldn’t remember any time that Adam had looked at him like that.  It was like looking at a stranger in the skin of the man he loved.

            The hazel eyes rolled in irritation.  “Blake, if you just want to stare at me, do it on your own time, ok? I came to see you, but if you don’t have anything to say, I’m heading back out.”

            “To Cassiel?” Blake asked quietly.  “Or maybe to Crowley?”

            Adam scoffed.  “Cassiel’s useful, that’s all.  And Dean’s seriously hot!  I won’t deny I enjoy kissing him, even if he is being a bitch.  He got all upset about it the first time, too, but whatever. Now I know to make sure Cassiel’s in charge and I can do what I have to do and still get to make out with a hot guy. Now Crowley, he’s someone I’ve got some longer-term plans for, because he can offer me a future, Blake. Especially now that Hellboy out there couldn’t pinpoint where Castiel is, I need to think about my future. Honestly, chances are pretty high that, even if we do find Castiel, we won’t be able to get to him.  And that means I’m stuck with what he gave me!”

            Blake’s heart was pounding now.  But he kept his expression calm as he looked at Adam.  “And what will you do then?  Your body can’t hold the power of an archangel, Adam!”

            “That’s where Crowley comes in,” Adam explained.  “Assuming Cassiel keeps his word and gets out of Dean, well, Dean knows now how to draw Grace out of me.  And he’s powerful enough he can hold the grace of an archangel!  So if Crowley helps takes it out of me and anchors it in Dean?  Problem solved!”

            “So that’s the plan?”  Blake had stopped strumming now and was looking hard at Adam.  “The two of you are just going to force this on Dean?!”

            “Why not?” Adam challenged.  “Besides, Crowley says I won’t have to force him.  Dean’s got that ‘Righteous Man’ schtick, he’ll do it to save me.  He can handle it, and if he ever gets Castiel back, he can just...”

            Blake held up his guitar.  “You know what this is?”

            Adam cocked an eyebrow.  “Um, it’s a guitar?”

            “That’s right,” Blake confirmed, lowering the instrument.  “It’s a guitar.  More to the point, it’s the guitar that Bobby gave me while I was trapped over in their world.  And the first time I ever played it, I was thinking I might never get back to you, Adam. I’d literally just been to Hell, got myself grabbed by that same son of a bitch you’re cozying up to and threatened because I wouldn’t play ball with him.  And nothing about meeting a witch, meeting the demon King of Hell, or Hell itself terrified me more than the idea that I might never see you again!”

            Adam shifted but didn’t say anything.

            “The other thing to bear in mind about this guitar?” Blake continued. “It’s a unicorn.  It’s an item from another universe that never should have been in this one.  So far as our own universe is concerned, it was never meant to be.  In other words, it’s every bit as alien to this universe we’re in as you are to me right now!”

            And now Adam glared at him.  “You got a point, Shelton?  Or are you just trying to get on my shit?  Because I’m not the idiot who put that stupid fucking hex bag in my pocket and started this whole mess in the first place!”

            Blake simply looked at him.  “I got no idea who you are anymore, Adam!  I look at you and I see the man I fell in love with.  But at the same time, I finally understand the version of you I met over in Unicornland.  Because Country Adam?  He had to be the most abrasive, abusive, heartless little shit I’ve ever seen!  He was so bad I actually was sure he was possessed by a demon at first.  But he wasn’t, Adam.  What I was seeing there, that’s what happens to you when you shut out your heart! Country Adam lashed out at everyone because he wasn’t allowed to be who he really is.  And you’re exactly the same!  You’re not allowed to be who you really are because this thing, this Grace inside of you?  It’s corrupted your soul to the point where that big loving heart of yours has just been completely buried!”

            “Or,” Adam countered, “maybe this is who I really am?  You said yourself that the way I am now is the same as how I was in Unicornland!  Has it ever occurred to you that maybe that’s who I’m really meant to be, and the guy you remember?  He’s the anomaly!”

            “Not possible,” Blake declared.  “And I know that because after you two switched back, and he came back to himself? I was still holding you, Adam! And he felt it, that soulmate link. When he looked up at me, those pretty hazel eyes of his were the same ones I’d seen when it was you.  Because that’s who you really are!  My sweet Rockstar, not whatever the hell you are now!”

            “I’m about to walk away,” Adam announced, “and when I do, we’re done, Blake. You still want to fuck, I’m game for that.  You’re good at it and you know what I like.  But I’m tired of you trying to tell me who I’m supposed to be!”

            Something grew cold in Blake’s chest.  “So this is it, then?  This is the last chance I got with you?”

            “If you want to call it that.  I came here out of some lingering sense of obligation.  It’s the last time I’ll do that.”

            Blake wanted to scream.  He wanted to grab Adam, hold him tight, and refuse to let him go until he took back his horrible words and agreed to never ever leave him.  But he knew he’d never win Adam this way.  This wasn’t his Rockstar.  He knew that.  But Adam, the real Adam, was somewhere inside.  Blake had to believe that now.  “Alright,” he forced himself to say.  “Then how about one last song?”

            “Yours or mine?”

            Blake considered that for a moment.  “Well, I’d like to sing one for you.  And if you want to sing one for me as well, that’s bonus.”

            Adam snorted.  “What, are we doing a medley?”

            “Whatever you want to do, so long as you listen, really listen, to the words I’m gonna sing for you.  You got something that goes along with it, then you go right ahead!”

            Adam leaned against the wall.  “Well this will be interesting!  Our genres don’t generally mesh all that well, Blake.  But I’m intrigued now, so let’s hear it.”

            Blake’s heart was pounding now.  This was it. For a terrible moment, his mind went blank, completely forgetting what it was he’d wanted to sing.  He closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths.  Then he opened them and looked at Adam.  Adam simply looked back, waiting expectantly. Blake began to play, more muscle memory than anything else.  But the words came to his lips almost without conscious thought, Blake’s heart and soul pouring out of him in song.   _“It's your life,”_ he sang.  _“You say you need a change.  Don't all the dreams we've seen come true mean anything?  You say it's different now, and you keep staring at the door. How can you walk away?  Don't I matter anymore?”_

            It was an older song, but it fit so well now that the pain of it was like a physical force.  The fact that this really could be the end, that tonight he could lose the best thing that he’d ever had in his life, was so great that for a moment Blake couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.  His hands faltered on the guitar.  _Adam, please, baby, please!_

            There was a small sound, Adam shifting where he stood.  The silence was damning.  Blake could feel it slipping away, his one chance to save his marriage and bring back the man he loved passing through his fingers like sand on a beach.  His body trembled.  But his mind was completely blank.

            And then suddenly there was Adam’s voice, his crystal clear tenor softly rising through the sudden stillness.  _“_ _I never knew perfection till I heard you speak, and now it kills me just to hear you say the simple things.  Now waking up is hard to do, and sleeping's impossible, too.  Everything is reminding me of you!  What can I do?”_

            It certainly wasn’t a country ballad like Blake had just been singing.  It was an older number from one of Maroon 5’s early albums.  But somehow, it was enough to break through Blake’s paralysis.  Adam had found a song that somehow, impossibly, matched his.  Blake looked up, saw Adam looking back at him.  The hazel eyes seemed somehow puzzled.  His head was cocked and he was frowning like Blake had seen Cassiel doing. And yet this was Adam looking back at him now.

            Once more, Blake’s hands moved on the guitar.  _“If being free's worth what you leave behind?”_ he sang.  _“And if it's too late for love to change your mind?  Then it's goodbye time!”_

            _“It's not right,”_ Adam sang as Blake continued to play.  _“Not okay!  Say the word that you say!  Maybe we're better off this way?  I'm not fine, I'm in pain!  It's harder every day!  Maybe we're better off this way, it's better that we break?”_

            The songs shouldn’t have meshed.  But somehow, they did.  And now Blake’s eyes locked with Adam’s as Adam continued to sing.  _“A fool to let you slip away, I chase you just to hear you say you're scared and that you think that I'm insane!”_

            Blake was singing as well, letting his slow verse blend with Adam’s quick one.  _“If we had known our love would come to this?”_

 _“_ _The city looks so nice from here.  Pity, I can't see it clearly.  While you're standing there, it disappears!”_

_“We could have saved our hearts the hurt of wasted years!”_

_“It disappears!”_

            And now Adam’s voice was strong.  He’d straightened, his eyes still locked with Blake’s as he moved into the chorus of his song even as Blake continued to weave his slow verse through it.

            _“Well it's been fun.”_

            _“It's not right, not okay.  Say the word that you say!”_

_“What else can I say?”_

_“Maybe we’re better off this way?”_

_“If the feeling's gone?”_

_“I'm not fine, I'm in pain!”_

_“Words won’t stop you anyway!”_

_“It’s harder every day!  Maybe we’re better off this way?”_

            And now Adam was moving slowly forward, moving into the bridge of his song as Blake continued to play.  _“Saw you sitting all alone. You're fragile, and you're cold, but that's all right!  Life these days is getting rough. They've knocked you down and beat you up. But it's just a roller coaster anyway, yeah!”_

            Adam was standing directly in front of him now. Something was shining in his hazel eyes as he looked down at Blake.  Blake dared to hope, his voice swelling into his chorus, hearing Adam’s sweet voice filling in the spaces as if the two songs had been written to be sung together.

            _“If being free's...”_

_“It’s not right, not okay!”_

_“...Worth what...”_

_“Say the word that you say!”_

_“...You leave behind?”_

_“Maybe we're better off this way?”_

_“And if it's too late...”_

_“I’m not fine, and I’m in pain!”_

_“...For love...”_

_“It’s harder every day!”_

_“...To change your mind?_

_“Maybe we're better off this way?”_

_“Then it's goodbye time.”_

            Adam reached out a hand, his fingertips just brushing Blake’s cheek.  _“It's better that we break, baby!”_

_“Goodbye baby!”_

            Blake stopped playing, reaching up to take Adam’s hand. “Adam,” he whispered.  “Don’t leave me.  Please, baby, don’t leave me!”

            “I won’t!”  Adam clutched Blake’s hand to his chest, his angel strength making Blake wince. “Blake, what happened?  What’s wrong with me?  I didn’t...  I couldn’t...!”  His hazel eyes filled with tears.  “What the fuck was I thinking?!”

            Blake was up in an instant, setting the guitar down to pull Adam into his arms.  “Shh, it wasn’t you, Rockstar!  It’s the Grace corrupting you, that’s all!  But I’m here, and I won’t give up on you, no matter what!”

            For someone with the strength of an angel, Adam suddenly seemed to have no strength at all.  He sagged against Blake’s chest and nearly fell to the floor if Blake hadn’t been holding him.  Blake crushed him against his chest, burying his face in Adam’s hair.  Adam’s arms moved up to encircle his neck, and Blake bent down, lifting him up only to lie him back down on the stack of pallets that had served Blake as a bed.

            Blake pressed his lips to Adam’s, sliding his hands along Adam’s side, digging his fingers into the bare skin of Adam’s buttocks. Then he blinked, pulled back, and looked down to discover they were both naked.  “Really?!”

            Adam shrugged.  “I think, this time, Cassiel will understand?”

            Blake shook his head.  “You’re impossible!”

            Adam laughed.  “Yeah yeah, shut up and kiss me!”

            Blake did.  He caressed Adam’s ass, deepening the kiss as his hands explored until they discovered Adam’s hole, already lubricated and ready for him.  Once again, he drew away, giving Adam a look.

            Adam shrugged again.  “In for a penny, in for a pound, right?”

            Blake couldn’t help but laugh.  Adam really was impossible!  But right now, Blake couldn’t care less.  He sank deeply into his husband, moving slow to savor every inch as Adam writhed beneath him.  Even more than the physical sensation of making love to his husband, Blake relished the deeper connection between them.  _Soulmates._   They were connected again, and this time, Blake vowed as he quickened his pace, delighting in the happy cries from beneath him, nothing and no one would ever come between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought they were both saying some very harsh things, but they needed said. Still was rough! Said he couldn’t imagine having that kind of conversation. Said the author did a great job with the songs!
> 
> I unfortunately don't know how to do song mixes, nor do I know anyone who can. But I sang these songs together as they're written here for Mr. Fun, and yes, they actually do mesh! They even have the occasional rhyme, and both end with "baby." Would dearly love to see our boys perform them someday! *daydreams*
> 
> "Goodbye Time" by Blake Shelton:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNp05l54l-E&frags=pl%2Cwn
> 
> "Better That We Break" by Maroon 5:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3JHQJoF7zM&frags=pl%2Cwn


	14. Closing the Net

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam's Club continues to search for Castiel, and realizes the danger their group is in. Rufus has one last hiding place to take them to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story gets pretty dark from this point. Fair warning. I promise, though, we're at the darkness before dawn. There will be a happy ending!

            “I just want it noted for the record that I am being unfairly discriminated against,” Crowley complained.  “Again! Everyone falls all over themselves for the pretty angels, but the demon is treated like a second-class citizen, despite the fact that I’m the only one here capable of getting us all back to where we belong?!  I know everyone is blaming me for what happened between Lovely and Sexy, but honestly, all I’ve done was help Adam with his powers!  It was Cassie’s Grace that altered him, not anything I did! Why should I be punished?”

            No one him paid any attention.  Blake was seated in the corner, strumming the guitar Bobby had given him.  He’d insisted on being present the next time Adam “gave Cassiel his medicine,” as he preferred to think of it.  And it had helped.  Despite what Adam had said before, there was a clinical detachment to the transfer of Grace now that had done wonders for Blake’s disposition.  He did feel bad for Dean, though.  Dean had insisted on being the one to do the actual transfer, saying if Blake was going to get upset, it would be at him rather than Cassiel.  The hunter had winced like he was about to be slapped and had eyed Blake with obvious trepidation.  But Blake had only smiled at him, holding out his arms for his husband.  And when Adam had immediately gone to him and kissed Blake for real, Dean had visibly relaxed.

            Adam and Dean were currently at the table with most of the band, playing poker. Now that Adam had gone around apologizing to everyone and they’d all seen him back to his old self, things were back to normal with Maroon 5.  Jesse especially had badly needed his friend back, and Adam had spent extra time making amends with him.  Now, seeing him with the group, it was almost as if the real Adam had never been gone. Even so, Blake, remembering the way Dean had cleaned out the bar at pool, had neglected to join in on the poker game.  Turned out, that was a wise choice.  Dean currently had a large pile of chips on the table in front of him, and James had already literally lost his shirt.  Naturally, Adam was still in the game, determined to win despite the dangerously low pile of chips in front of him.  “You’re cheating,” Adam accused.  “You’re reading everyone’s mind!”

            Dean rolled his eyes.  “I’m not. Just admit I’m a better player than you are.”

            “Bullshit!”

            “I think you’re both cheating,” Jesse offered, “but Dean’s better at the angel thing than you are, Adam.”

            “Of course he is!” Adam complained.  “I still can’t distinguish random surface thoughts from what someone’s really thinking, so I just shut it all out!”

            “I do the same thing,” Dean said.

            Adam scowled.  “You’re a lying sack of shit, Dean!”

            “Suck my cock, Adam!” Dean called amicably.  He winked at Adam.  Adam grinned and gave him the finger.

            “James, seriously, you need to get some sun, man.”

            “For real, James, I’m being blinded here!”

            “Dean, for the sake of all our eyes, can he please have his shirt back?”

            “Sure!” Dean called cheerfully.  “As soon as he wins it back, which is not going to be this hand.”  He slapped his cards on the table.  “Full house, gentlemen, queens high!”

            A slew of curses accompanied Dean as he scooped the chips over to add to his pile. Two more shirts were hurled at his face. James whimpered and began untying his shoes.  Blake chuckled.  It was good to see Dean smile, although his green eyes never quite lit up with it. Worry about Castiel, combined with the constant presence of the dying archangel inside of him, were likely taking their toll.

            “You know, boys, the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results,” Bobby noted.  He, Rufus, and Matt were seated in one of the booths as the group gathered in the cafeteria, watching TV and keeping an eye on the game.

            “I’d say the term fits,” Matt noted.  He was practicing his surly face, Blake noted.  The more time Matt spent with the two elderly hunters, the more he started to resemble them.  And Matt spent most of his time with the two.

            Adam stared in dismay at the few chips he had left.  Then his eyes moved to Sam Squared and brightened.  “Hey Hunter Sam, why don’t you come play?” he offered.  “I bet you know all of your brother’s tricks!”

            Dean immediately stiffened, a scowl on his face.  “No!”

            That got everyone’s attention.

            “He’s busy!” Dean defended.  “He’s doing important research and shouldn’t be bothered!”

            “And he’d completely clean out everyone at that table,” Bobby called without looking up.

            “And that,” Dean grumbled.

            Sam’s Club, apparently, had ignored all of this, focusing on their research. But now the left side of Sam’s Squared looked back.  “Hey, guys, listen to this!  We think we found it!”

            That got everyone’s attention.  Everyone crowded around the table where Sam’s Club had been busy working on the laptops they’d acquired through various means.  Now that they’d even started dressing alike, Blake had no idea which version of Sam Winchester had spoken.  It still bothered Blake that Adam and Cassiel had worked together to make Sam Squared absolutely identical.  While Lawyer Sam’s reasons for wanting to protect Hunter Sam were noble, Blake still had trouble understanding why Hunter Sam agreed to it.  But no one but Sam Squared could understand Sam Squared, with the possible exception of Sam Farrar.

            “We got good news and bad news,” the left half of Sam Squared began.  “The good news is, we think we figured out where Ketch is holding Cass.”

            “Then let’s go bust him out!” Dean declared, looking determined.

            That earned him the “bitchface” as Left glowered at him.  “Dean, if it was that easy, do you really think we’d be sitting here?” Left asked.

            Dean sputtered.  “You said you think you know where he is!”

            “And that’s also the bad news,” Right sighed.  “We think he’s actually in a refurbished, privately-owned hospital complex belonging to a shell company controlled by the Men of Letters.  It’s got multiple buildings surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire, guard turrets, and state-of-the-art security, everything we were looking for!  This place is loaded with guards and security, warded against damned near everything...  We’d have an easier time breaking into Fort Knox!”

            Blake swore in time with Bobby, glad to note that Adam had the presence of mind to take a firm hold of Dean.  Blake, Bobby, and surprisingly PJ all had hold of him as well, but Blake wasn’t sure Dean couldn’t get away from them.  Adam was a different story.  Blake’s Rockstar was holding tight to Dean’s wrist, looking coolly back at him as Dean gave him a dirty look.  Good. Blake shot his husband a grateful nod and then returned to Sam’s Club.  “You sure, guys?”

            “As sure as we can get.”  Farrar turned his laptop and displayed columns of figures.  “And that’s not the only thing we found out!  We did like Mickey suggested and found all the buildings in that area on Crowley’s map that used a lot of power.  Then we used the back doors that Rufus gave us to make some comparisons.  I looked through the financial records while Sam Squared took on the bounties and assignments.  And we found out that Ketch has been basically casting a net.  Right after that mess in the park, he put out high bounties on everyone, but especially Castiel.  And he listed Cass as highest priority!”

            “That resulted in every hunter in North America getting put onto Castiel,” Rufus agreed.

            “Then, the bounty on him was canceled,” Farrar continued.  “We know now it’s because he was captured.”

            “That’s also about the time my contacts told me the motherhouse sent over that overseer,” Rufus noted.

            “And at that point, the assignments eased up a bit, and you can see the drop in expenditures.  But see here, where it spikes up again?”  Farrar indicated his columns.  “That’s when Dean got listed as an angelic vessel, too.  But then, here, it spikes yet again, with the money set aside for bounties almost doubling!”

            “It’s Adam’s angel bounty.” Right explained.  “Obviously, that’s bad news because it means every hunter and his dog will be out looking for them.  But at the same time, because of that fact, we have a big spike in activity.  That’s the part we couldn’t figure out.”

            “They’re selling,” Rufus mused.  When everyone turned to look at him, he explained.  “That’s how Ketch keeps tabs on the hunters.  Not every monster has a bounty, just the ones Ketch really wants, like you all.  But they’ll pay for other monsters, too, because the Men of Letters isn’t actually about hunting.  These guys are all about research!  So what they do is, if we go on a hunt, either on our own or one that’s assigned to us, we have a way to get reimbursed.  If we capture a monster alive, we can sell them to the Men of Letters as research subjects.”

            “Like Ketch’s zoo?”  PJ was wild-eyed.

            But Rufus was shaking his head.  “The zoo’s different.  The monsters there are used for research too, to a degree.  But mostly they’re a resource for Ketch and his cronies on big hunts.  The zoo is about monsters to help fight other monsters, so those are the ones Ketch can control.  We already believe that’s why he wants Castiel, probably why he wants Cassiel, too.  Monsters sold to the labs are just that – lab specimens.  If they buy, for example, a vampire, then that vamp might be used to test various cures they’re trying to come up with for vampirism.”

            “There is one out there,” Dean reported.  “Can only work if the victim hasn’t fed.  I got to use it when I got attacked and turned.  Sucked, but it was better than being a vamp and sucking for real!”

            “So you can see the benefit there,” Rufus agreed.  “We’ve got cures in our universe now that can de-vamp you even if you did drink, so long as it’s within a week from the time you were turned. But here’s the thing.  If I captured you when you were a vamp and sold you to the lab, they could potentially cure you.  But the question to ask is, what happens to you then? Because that’s another thing Bobby was looking really hard into when they killed him!  They would use their cures on their own people and the hunters, sure.  But Bobby wasn’t able to find one single instance where some poor regular sap with a monster affiliation like vampirism that we knew we could cure was ever seen back in the community again!  There was all kinds of research being done on monsters, and a lot of it resulted in some big money.  But the ones who were sent for cures were never heard from again.  He believed that the labs were like roach motels.  You went in, you never went out.”

            “Well, that’s... ominous,” Mickey noted, swallowing hard.  The bassist had been snacking, but now he appeared to have suddenly lost his appetite.

            “Ok, we did not know that,” Right admitted.  “But it does explain the expenses being listed in the records for the Men of Letters.  It also gives us a means of tracking their activity, because if the hunters are capturing monsters to sell to the labs, they’re probably doing it close by, right? But either way, there were a lot of assignments that were given out in the same geographic location.”  He indicated the computers.  “We really focused hard on the assignments and expenditures, trying to see if we could find any sort of pattern.”

            “And we did!” Left said.  “Show them the map!”

            Right brought up a map.  “I started plotting the changes in assignments and expenses of the teams Ketch had in the field.  These are mostly his men, not hunters!  And you can see the net closing, guys!”  He indicated the concentric circles on the map.  “They zero in right here, in a thirty-mile radius around the complex. And this is where it’s been holding now for a few days, right in this area.  They’re gathering their forces, waiting for something, and I think it’s us! They’re expecting us to try to rescue Castiel!”

            Bobby frowned.  “The complex isn’t right in the middle.”

            “No, the circle is kind of lopsided, and that’s why we weren’t completely sure,” Left agreed.  “So then Farrar started checking expense reports on Ketch himself.  Based on the type of lifestyle he likes, we were betting he’s not the kind to work unpaid overtime.”

            “And sure enough, since right after Castiel disappeared, he’s been putting in for expenses from one place.”  Farrar tapped the map.  “The old hospital complex.  He’s there, and our angel has to be there, too!”

            “Wait a minute,” PJ called over the cheers and expressions of relief.  “We got two big bounties out on our angels now. The whole _world_ is going to be looking to take them!  If Adam and Dean get anywhere near that place...?”

            Adam stilled.  Blake stiffened and put his arm around him.  “They’re not touching Adam or Dean,” Blake growled.  “And I note we still have a couple of advantages.  They know about our angels, but Hunter Sam’s bounty hasn’t changed!  They don’t know about his abilities, or our demon!  Crowley’s still not on the board!”

            “And yet, the ace up your sleeve is still subjected to such abuse!” Crowley called, sighing dramatically.

            “Shut up,” Bobby told him.  “We’ve got a temporary truce, you and I, but the instant we get back home, Crowley? You _will_ pay for what you did to Sammy!”

            “Yes, it’s terrible that, thanks to me, you actually have _two_ aces up your sleeve that Ketch doesn’t know about,” Crowley grumbled.  “Bloody terrible, how I’ve strengthened our defenses!”

            “It’s our offense I’m thinking about right now,” Blake said.  “Guys, we need everything you can get us about this place. There’s got to be some way we can get in there and get Cass out!”

            Farrar gave him a little salute.  “Already working on it, boss!  And we sent a bunch of the financial stuff to Jess and her firm, too.  They’re already putting together a nice little law suit to make their lives a bit more difficult.”

            Blake grinned.  “Good!”

            James stiffened.  “Guys? Guys!  I just thought of something!  Where, exactly, are we in relation to the center of that circle you showed us before?  The hospital complex, it’s about, what, twelve miles from here?  But where is this factory?”

            “There’s no way Ketch knows about this place!” Rufus denied.  “I only know about it because a distant relation of my mother’s worked here!”

            “But everyone’s looking for us, especially for Dean and Adam!” Matt pointed out.  “That is enough money to even tempt me to turn your asses in!  But now that everyone with a bounty has stipulations to report and not capture, how would we even know if we’ve been spotted?”

            That, Blake realized with dismay, was a damned good question.

            “Where’s that map?!”  Bobby grabbed for the computer and scrolled in on the map.  He swore savagely.  “Balls! Boys, we’re made!  The center of this ring isn’t the hospital, it’s _here!_   Ketch’s operatives aren’t surrounding Castiel, they’re surrounding _us!_   That means they could move in on us any time!”

            Blake swore.  “Haul ass, gentlemen, we are leaving!”

            There was a general stampede as everyone raced for belongings.  “How the hell did they find us?” James wanted to know. “Could they have tracked the angels?”

            “I don’t see how!” Dean said.  “We never came up with any way to track angels, but this is a different reality!”

            “Ok, no more angel flights until we can be sure,” Blake ordered.  “And Hunter Sam, no matter what, absolutely no one outside of the people in this room can know about what you can do!  Worse comes to worst, you might just be the last chance we got.  You keep your powers under wraps, ya hear?  Even if we get attacked, if you can, run, don’t fight!”

            Blake still wasn’t sure which of the two was which.  But the one on the right nodded, looking upset, while the left flashed Blake a smile.

            “And I, of course, get no such warning?” Crowley complained.

            “You don’t need one,” Blake told him sharply.  “You’ll do just fine at protecting your own ass with no urging from anyone else.  Now come on, y’all, let’s get gone!  Rufus, you got any other places?”

            “One,” Rufus replied.  “I got a hunting lodge out by the lake that I inherited from a friend.  It’s still in his name, so it will be tough to trace back to me, but it’s possible.  Singer and I used to spend vacations out there.”  He shook his head.  “It’s just a hunting cabin, not a safe house!  It’s so far out in the boondocks that there’s no electricity or running water! There’s also no supplies and no wards, but hopefully it’s under the radar enough to get by.”

            “That’ll have to do.”  Bobby nodded at Blake and raised his voice.  “Let’s go, boys!  Crowley make yourself useful and help the angels carry the heavy shit!”

            Crowley looked aghast.  “Manual labor?!  I’m the King of Hell!”

            “You’re a jackass,” Blake informed him.  “That’s a beast of burden.  Now start carrying!”

            Crowley started off, grumbling.

            In less than an hour, they were all packed, crowded into the cars, and heading down the road.  Blake and Adam had joined the Winchesters.  Now Blake was crowded into the back seat of the Impala with Adam and Lawyer Sam.  He took a moment to reflect that the owner of the car was in the back.  But then again, maybe it was Hunter Sam?  Blake had no idea which one was...  Ah.  Lawyer Sam was seated in the back, anxiously rubbing at the base of his left ring finger with his thumb.  It was something Blake had caught himself doing constantly after his divorce, unconsciously seeking a wedding band that was no longer there.

            Up front, Hunter Sam was driving.  Dean had instinctively started towards the driver’s seat, but had stopped when his brother had taken his arm and whispered frantically to him.  Now he rode in the passenger seat.  That was probably for the best.  And, if his tilted head and confused frown were any indication, Cassiel was back in charge.  As wound as Dean almost had to be, it was little wonder that Cassiel had taken control.  “I believe the Righteous Man could use a bit of reassurance,” the archangel ventured quietly.  “He currently is imagining us mounting a full-frontal assault on the Men of Letters and, well, I’m not sure what exactly could be accomplished by ‘fucking that motherfucker Arthur Ketch right the fuck up his fucking ass?’  I’d thought that Dean was quite attached to my brother, but now he seems most eager to engage in anal intercourse with Mr. Ketch!”  He pinched his lips together.  “His imagination is really quite graphic!”

            “We’ll get Cass out of there, Dean,” Hunter Sam called, his eyes fixed on the vehicle ahead of them.  “Now we know where he is, we can work on how, exactly, we’re going to get in there.”

            “Dean?”  Adam reached forward and took Dean’s shoulder.  “We’ll get him out, ok?”

            Dean’s face shifted, the anguish of the hunter showing through for a moment. Dean nodded, clutched at Adam’s hand. Then the hunter seemed to step back, and once again, his face showed the calm control of the archangel.  “He’s gone deep,” Cassiel reported.  “He says he needs to take a knee?”

            “Yeah, I bet he does,” Blake sighed.  He kissed Adam’s temple and was rewarded with a small smile in return.  Seeing Adam trying to comfort Dean eased a lot of Blake’s tension.  It was good to see Adam’s empathy show through, a nice reminder that Adam was still fighting despite the continued corruption of his soul.  Adam leaned his head on Blake’s shoulder.  Blake gently carded his hair and kissed the top of his head.

            Then Hunter Sam swore and slammed on the brakes.

            Honey fishtailed wildly, skidding to a stop amid a scream of tires.  Ahead of them, the vehicle Matt was driving with PJ, Bobby, and Rufus was going off the road, all four tires blown.  Honey stopped inches from the spike strips lying across the road, only to be nearly struck as James barely managed to stop behind them.

            Dean was out of the car before Blake could fully process what had just happened, running in front of the lead car.  Adam was already scrambling over Lawyer Sam to follow him.  To Blake’s horror, he could hear screams from the first car over the unmistakable pop-pop-pop of gunfire.  Ahead, Rufus was out of the car, ducking down behind the open door to return fire as Bobby yelled at PJ and Matt to stay down.  Blake had his pistol and was running low behind Hunter Sam, following the hunter towards the first car and its pinned-down occupants. Lawyer Sam had kept with Blake. The fighters spread out to try to cover everyone.  But it seemed like bullets were flying from every direction.

            “Winchester!” a familiar voice yelled.  “Levine!  Stand down and no one will be hurt!”

            “Ketch, you _motherfucker!_ ”  Dean was livid with rage.  “Don’t fucking shoot them, they’re innocent!”

            “Dean!”  Bobby’s voice, yelling back from the disabled car.  “Dean, get back, it’s a trap!”

            “No shit!”  Dean was already in front of the car, standing in the open with his hands held out in invitation.  “You want me, Ketch?!  Here I am! Come get me!”

            “Not another step!  Surprising to see you’re in charge, Winchester, but I believe your feathered friend can tell you the meaning of the wards we’ve got around us!”

            Blake looked.  Ahead of them, Blake could see a man who could only be Ketch, boldly standing in front of a group of armed men in full body armor.  He had a rifle up to his shoulder that he was aiming at Dean.  All around them, spray painted on the road, the ground, and even the barn next to them, were a collection of odd runes. Apparently, they were angel wards. Some of them were similar to one of Blake’s tattoos the brothers had insisted he get while he was in their world.

            “You think your simple symbols will protect you?!”  Now Cassiel had come forward, his eyes blazing as he glared at Ketch.  “You’ve already seen a demonstration of my power!”

            “I have, but these are far stronger!” Ketch countered.  “I have it on very good authority that they should be enough to stop even an archangel!”

            “I may not be able to affect you directly, but I assure you, if you harm my friends, you are anything but safe from me!”  Cassiel gestured, and a large boulder at the side of the road suddenly ripped free.  It sailed through the air, forcing Ketch to dive to the side.  “I will not allow you to harm my friends!  You’ll first have to get past me!”

            “And me!”  Adam’s eyes were blazing as well.  “Believe us, motherfucker, you’ll regret it!  I will rip out entire trees and throw them at you!  Think those wards will stop that?!”

            “And the instant you make another move against me or my people, I give the word to open fire on yours!” Ketch shot back.

            “Those wards aren’t going to stop us from blowing your ass away either, Ketch!” Rufus bellowed.  “We got us a Mexican standoff!”

            “I don’t think so!”

            Blake peeked around the car as the yelling back and forth continued.  Behind Ketch’s group, parked just far enough back behind an old barn to be mostly unseen from the road, was a group of trucks. Most were canvas covered vehicles such as the military would use for troop transport.  But one of them looked more like an armored truck.  Blake had no doubt that they all had the angel runes. Blake wondered how long Ketch and his men had been waiting to spring this trap?  They’d certainly come prepared.  He and his men were all heavily armed, and all with weapons that were leveled at Blake’s group.  Most of them were divided between Dean and Adam as the two stood protectively in front of the disabled car.

            Blake frowned and nudged Hunter Sam.  “He knows Dean and Adam are angels,” he murmured.  “Think he’s got some kind of angel-killing bullets?”

            “I don’t know, but I doubt it,” the hunter responded.  He had a pistol in his hand.  Lawyer Sam, crouched next to him, had one of his own.  Even their weapons were identical.  “Rufus said angel blades are hard to find on this world because they didn’t have the angel war we had in ours,” Hunter Sam continued, “and melted-down angel blades are about the only thing I can think of that could make a bullet capable of killing an angel!  He’s got something else in mind.”  Raising his voice, he called, “Guys!  Be careful!”

            Adam had come around the other side of the crippled vehicle and, Blake was glad to see, was standing in front of the door, shielding the passengers as they climbed out.  They seemed no worse for the wear.  Guided by Lawyer Sam, they were scrambling around to the rear of the vehicle while James, Mickey, Jesse, Crowley, and Sam Farrar moved up around Honey to join them. To Blake’s surprise, Crowley actually appeared to be trying to keep himself between the band and the enemy guns.

            The demon moved up to join Blake and his eyes went red for a moment.  “There’s about thirty of them,” Crowley reported. “Nearly all of them are up front there, but there’s one bloke off to the right.  See the red car?”

            Blake looked, spotting a red Camaro with a white racing stripe parked well off the side of the road to the right.  He couldn’t see the man Crowley was referring to.  “Where is he?”

            “He’s on the move, crouched down behind the brush, heading around in our direction.”  Crowley frowned.  “I do believe that wanker is trying to flank us!”

            Blake swore.  “You hear that, Sammy?”

            “Yeah, I heard it.  But I need you to check it out, Blake.  Bobby and Sam need to keep with the band, and Rufus and I need to cover Dean.  Something’s up and we’ve got a lot of civilians here to protect!”

            Meanwhile, Dean and Ketch were still yelling back and forth, Dean challenging Ketch to come out alone and face him, and Ketch ordering Dean to come forward. Adam was back slightly and to Dean’s right now, just past the hood of the car, watching and waiting for instruction from Dean or Cassiel.  He gave no sign of being aware of the danger represented by the man Crowley had seen.

            Blake quickly moved back, stepping around the band as they gathered at the rear of the car with Bobby and Lawyer Sam, giving them a small smile to reassure them.  He felt very exposed as he moved around the corner of the car, watching for movement. There.  Just as Crowley had said, the man was creeping through the brush below the bank at the side of the road.  Blake was ready to line the bastard up when there was another distinctive pop and Adam’s body suddenly jerked.

            Surprised, Adam stared for a moment at the hole in his shoulder.  Then his eyes blazed.  “Oh, you _fucker!”_ he roared, starting towards the man.

            “Adam!” Dean yelled.  “Don’t let him draw you away!”

            But Blake’s hot-headed Rockstar wasn’t listening.  Blake was still adjusting to the shock of seeing Adam get shot when he finally noticed the odd-looking device on the ground where Adam was walking.  “Adam!” he called.  “Move back! There’s something...”

            Out of the corner of his eye, Blake had noticed the man dropping his weapon to reach for something else, a small, black device with antennas.  But later when, hurt beyond his wildest imagination, Blake thought it all over, he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened.

            At a signal from the remote, the wireless sparker on the ground near Adam’s feet flashed.  And a moment later, Adam was nearly hidden behind a wall of flames.  Flames flashed out, forming a series of connecting circles all over the road.

            Even then, Blake, at first, had no idea what had happened.  But Hunter Sam, Bobby, and Rufus were screaming in negation and suddenly there was gunfire everywhere.  Ketch’s men fanned out, surrounded Blake’s group.  And everything happened at once.  Lawyer Sam grabbed Hunter Sam and charged down over the embankment.  Bobby grabbed Mickey with one hand and Jesse with the other and shoved both of them down after Sam Squared.  Rufus was flashing his FBI badge, standing protectively in front of the rest of the band, trying to order Ketch’s men to stand down.  And then Blake was too busy to pay attention to anything else.  One of the body-armored assholes with Ketch had dived onto him.  Blake’s pistol was knocked out of his hand.  The bastard’s body armor made it hard to land a good hit, so Blake chose to settle for trying to twist his opponent’s limbs off and kicking him.  Yelling and fighting was all around him as he rolled in the dirt.  But it was like fighting with Ketch all over again.  The men Ketch had brought along this time weren’t amateurs.  They were highly skilled and experienced, and it showed. They didn’t make mistakes.  They just systematically beat down and captured every fighter in Blake’s group.

            The fight was vicious, but short.  Blake managed to do a satisfying amount of damage before more jumped on him. He found himself flat on his face on the pavement beneath someone’s knee, his hands dragged behind his back and secured with a plastic tie, and his weapons confiscated.  Bobby joined him a moment later, followed by Rufus.  He heard yelling behind him and saw Mickey. Apparently, he’d come back to help fight, but now he was being dragged down.  He was still struggling, but he already had his hands pulled back, ready for the plastic tie.  Matt was still fighting.  The drummer was in a full rage, pounding at his opponent until he was finally overwhelmed and secured in turn.  But neither Mickey nor Matt was brought over with Blake and the others.  Instead, the two cursing, bleeding, swearing musicians were pulled to the opposite side of the road with the rest of the band.

            Meanwhile, Ketch was menacing the band.  “Any of the rest of you bastards want to put up a fuss now?” he challenged. “I’ve no quarrel with any of you, but try me, and it’s a bullet for you!”

            “We’re non-combatants!”  James, it appeared had been in the fight.  His face was battered, but he wasn’t fighting now.  Judging by the way his arms were twisted back, James had earned his own set of plastic ties.  But now he was in front of Farrar and PJ, standing protectively before them in a way that made Blake want to hug him.  “Don’t hurt us!  Some of these guys have families, ok?  We won’t give you any trouble!”

            _“Blake!”_

            Adam.  Adam was still standing near the side of the road, surrounded by flames.  Some of Ketch’s men were running around with fire extinguishers, putting out the extra circles.  But Adam and Dean were both standing as they were, pacing around in their flaming circles.  “Blake, I can’t get out!”  Adam’s voice was frightened, desperate.  “I couldn’t help anyone because I couldn’t get out!  Why can’t I get out?  Dean, why the hell can’t I get out?!”

            “It’s burning holy oil!” Dean spat.  The hunter’s face was flushed in fury.  “It’s the only guaranteed way to trap an angel, even an archangel!  That motherfucker made circles of it all over this road.  Then all he had to do was lure us far enough apart to catch each of us in one of them! Son of a bitch!”  He looked up, saw Ketch with the band, and his lips curled back into a snarl.  _“Ketch!_   Leave the band alone, they’re innocent!”

            “Oh, I’m aware.”  Ketch walked past Blake, looking down at him as though he was a fascinating specimen. “And I’m also aware that you, Mr. Shelton, are only involved in this for the sake of your husband.  That kind of loyalty, while misguided, is of course perfectly understandable.  Ah!” he called, spotting the men approaching.  “I see we have our runaways, as well!  Very well, put Carmichael with the others, put the lawyer with Shelton, get the monster tied, and let’s do get on with it?”

            Now all of the band was together on the opposite side of the road.  But Ketch’s men stopped, looking confused as they eyed Sam Squared.  Ketch frowned.  “What is it?”

            “Um, these guys?” the skinhead who’d shot Adam began.  “They’re both say they’re Sam Winchester, Attorney-at-law!”

            Silence.  Then, to Blake’s surprise, someone actually started laughing.  “Oh, bravo!”  The speaker, and the source of the laughter, was a red-haired man who was now slow clapping as he approached.  “Bravo, indeed!  Bugger me, isn’t that a predicament!  I say, Ketch, whatever will you do now?”

            “What does it matter, Connelly?” Ketch spat at the ginger.  “I’ll simply take them both, and...”

            “You will do no such thing!” Connelly countered.  “You have cause to take the intruder from the alternate reality, but cannot justify taking custody of the lawyer.  Therefore, either you find a way to distinguish the two, or you leave them both behind!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said, “Surprise, cockbag!” Was enjoying the idiots playing poker “because they’re just hilarious!” Went quiet when he realized that they were doing just what Ketch had planned. Ketch is a douchebag and cheated, because that’s what he does. Says he doesn’t have much else to say because it’s kind of a given when he gets mad.


	15. Divided We Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ketch's trap is sprung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author has been informed she will be doing a double post. The second part should be up tonight.

            Blake wasn’t sure which he wanted to do – kiss Lawyer Sam, or throttle him.  He couldn’t believe his crazy plan to protect Hunter Sam by making it impossible to tell the two of them apart had actually worked!  Blake worried for the danger it put the lawyer in, though, and secretly wondered how the hunter could even consider letting him take that risk?  But of course, neither version of Sam Winchester had to ask what he would do were he in the other’s shoes, now, did he?  As long as no one could tell one from the other, Ketch would be forced to release them both.  And that meant, no matter what else happened here today, they’d still have Hunter Sam!  Blake dared to hope.

            The two were standing together with weapons pointing at them and their hands raised, two identical sets of stormy green eyes challenging their captors. And the look of supreme irritation on Ketch’s face delighted Blake.  “I,” the Englishman declared, “will deal with them later!  For now, please do recall that one of them is absolutely a monster, and get them both restrained!”

            Connelly, who was apparently the overseer Rufus had mentioned from the Men of Letters Motherhouse, shrugged.  “Delay if you wish, but on this point I’ll have to insist.”

            “Fine!  I’ll get to them in good time!”  Ketch frowned, his eyes moving over the band, crowded together across the street away from everyone else, and the men lying on the road next to Blake.  Now that they were putting the plastic ties on Sam Squared, it looked like everyone on Blake’s side of the road was restrained. Matt, Mickey, and James were tied as well, which left Jesse, PJ, and Farrar as the only ones with their hands free.

            No, this was not good.

            Ketch pinched his lips.  “I see the two angel vessels, the six in the band, Shelton, Singer, Turner, and the two Sam Winchesters.  But wasn’t there another one?  Our intelligence indicated a middle-aged man was with them.  Where is he?”

            The skinhead who’d shot Adam nodded.  “There was some other asshole in a black suit with them,” he confirmed. “But I lost track of him, and I don’t see him now.”

            Ketch gestured to some of his men.  “Find him!”

            _Good luck,_ Blake thought.  For the first time, he was glad that Crowley had such a strong sense of self-preservation.  If their angels were really caught and Ketch had the whole Unicorn Gang in custody, then Crowley might very well be their last hope.

            Dean, though he was certainly angry, didn’t seem concerned.  “What are you going to do, Ketch?” he challenged. “This holy oil is going to burn out eventually!  And when it does?  I am going to smite your ass so hard your ancestors will feel it!”

            “Yes, that is a problem I considered as well, Ketch,” Connelly noted.  His accent was far stronger than Ketch’s, making him somewhat difficult for Blake to understand, but he seemed very amused every time Ketch encountered any sort of difficulty.  “How, exactly, do you plan to complete this capture?  You’re speaking of a Prince of Heaven with Winchester, and Levine seems to have all the powers of an angel!”

            “Yes, I’m aware,” Ketch confirmed.  His attention was fixed on Dean.  “Cassiel, isn’t it?”

            Dean’s expression changed as Cassiel took control.  “I don’t understand,” he announced.  He frowned, tilting his head to the side as he studied Ketch.  “Why do you classify other humans as monsters, simply because they come from another dimension?  This does nothing to alter their humanity!”

            “Here is what’s going to happen,” Ketch began, ignoring this completely. He’d moved towards one of the waiting vehicles, where someone inside handed him a set of bags.  Ketch moved near the two trapped angels and tossed one bag to each of them.  “Inside, you’ll find some chains with Enochian runes,” he explained. “Extremely powerful Enochian runes, much like the ones we used here.  Powerful enough, you’ll find, to even hold an archangel!  Gentlemen, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d put them on now.”

            “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think we’re going to just chain ourselves up!” Adam exclaimed.  “Cassiel, do you hear this assclown?”

            Cassiel’s head cocked in the other direction now, but his attention was still on Ketch.  He looked troubled.  “Adam, he knows we won’t voluntarily restrain ourselves.  But I have a question for him.  Where, exactly, did you obtain chains like this?”

            Ketch’s smile made Blake’s blood run cold.  “I received them from a mutual friend, archangel.  I believe you’re familiar with Azazel, the King of Hell?”

            Cassiel stiffened.  His green eyes narrowed.  “I know that he would never willingly help you!  What did you offer Azazel in exchange for his help?”

            “A dying archangel to play with, at least until he inevitably fades away into nothing when Castiel takes his place!  Ah, yes,” he confirmed, seeing Cassiel’s eyes go wide.  “You forgot what I have in my control?  An angel with no Grace, trapped in a human body!  Since he’s never had to experience anything like sleep deprivation before, I expected him to be easy to break.  But to his credit, he refused to speak altogether when he was in full control of his facilities.”

            “Did you hurt him, you son of a bitch?!” PJ snarled.  He looked angrier than Blake had ever seen him.  “Did you hurt our angel?!”

            “I did what I had to do,” Ketch replied.  “But it turns out, torturing him wasn’t the answer.  The angel flat-out told us that he’d been tortured before, and invited us to do our worst.  But there are easier ways to break someone than torture.  You see, the angel seems to have unusually strong affection for one particular person.  And that proved to be the key to breaking him!”  He smiled at Dean, who was once again in control and giving Ketch a look that was pure hatred.  “There was no need to torture the angel.  All we had to do was convince him he was talking to Dean Winchester!  Why, he was positively chatty!”

            Blake grimaced.  Now he understood what Hunter Sam had seen, what he meant when he’d told them Castiel believed he was talking to Dean.  And Dean, apparently, understood as well.  “I will fucking _kill_ you, Ketch!” Dean roared over the angry shouts of the others.  He glared through the flames at Ketch.  “So help me, I will end you!”

            “No, you won’t,” Ketch announced.  “Because I know everything!”  He indicated Adam.  “I know all about how the angel tore out his Grace and put it into Mr. Levine here in hopes of stopping what was happening to you, archangel.  But even that wasn’t enough, was it?  Only one angel per reality, and you, an archangel, a Prince of Heaven, were losing out to a mere garrison captain!  Oh, Azazel did love that!  And to think, I never would have known what questions to ask to loosen the angel’s tongue if you hadn’t pulled your archangel blade on me and let me realize what you were!”  He shook a finger at the circle, where Cassiel had again taken control.  “I’ll admit you threw me at first.  I thought initially that you were from the other universe, and you’d been working together with my angel to draw more through.  But once I realized you were an archangel, then it made no sense at all.  Until Mr. Shelton offered his assistance!”

            Blake raised himself as much as he could as everyone looked at him.  “You said what?!”

            “Cass,” Ketch said.  “It didn’t seem to be a coincidence that there could be two angels with such similar names in the same universe.  But I recalled something about an archangel whose name started with C-A-S.  A bit of research revealed the link between the two of them, a bit of speculation helped me know what questions to ask, and then it was easily confirmed by simply asking the angel under the guise of his precious Righteous Man.”  He chuckled, turning back to Cassiel.  “Now, thanks to you and your friends here, I’ve got the angel AND his Grace!  And once you’re gone and Levine returns that Grace, I’ll have in my possession a full-fledged archangel, one that I have already taken the first steps towards breaking!”

            “Go to Hell!” Adam roared.  “Now there’s definitely no way I’m putting these things on myself!”  He threw the bag down in disgust.  “You want to lock me up, Ketch?  Then get your ass in this circle and slap the cuffs on me!  Come on!  I fucking _dare_ you!”

            Overhead, the cloudy sky rumbled.  Adam looked up and began to laugh.  “Oh, what do you know?” he called.  “Looks like even God’s against you, now!  How much do you want to bet that these flames won’t last long if it starts raining?”  He grinned wickedly at Ketch.  “Want to do yourself a favor?  Start running!  Now!”

            The band cheered, obviously encouraged by their front man’s words. But next to Blake, Bobby shifted. “It can’t be that easy,” he muttered to Blake.  “Ketch has a back-up plan, you can bet on it!”

            Ketch did appear oddly unconcerned.  He had been walking in front of the band as he spoke, moving up and down their line as they waited on the other side of the road.  “Levine,” he began, “you aren’t yourself.  We, all of us here, are here for the same reason – because we all believe we’re doing the right thing in regards to the supernatural beings among us.  Winchester, I’m afraid, is lost.  Once the archangel took control, well, I’m afraid no one has yet devised a reliable way to remove an angel without also destroying its host.  And I’m aware of what your group has been researching. I’ve known for years I couldn’t trust Turner, and when Singer’s access flagged in our systems, we immediately infected your machines with viruses and started watching what you were searching for.”

            Farrar’s face flushed in shame and anger.  Blake imagined Sam Squared, currently behind him, had done the same.

            “By now, after all the research you’ve done, you must know that Winchester is as doomed as the archangel.  But Levine, you do still have some hope!  What the angel’s done to you is reprehensible!  It must be corrupting your soul at an alarming rate.  Surely you’ve noticed?”

            Adam grew still.  Blake’s bound hands twisted into fists.  “Don’t listen to him, Rockstar!” he called.  “That son of a bitch is damned good at twisting the truth around!  Don’t you fall for it!”

            Ketch gave an exaggerated sigh.  “I would think you, of all people, would understand, Mr. Shelton!  Mr. Levine, you’re desperately trying to help a creature that you believed to be a friend, and that’s commendable.  But tell me.  Did the angel really explain what would happen to you?  How the Grace would corrupt your soul to the point where it would interfere with your life, your friendships, your marriage?  Because it has, hasn’t it?  That power was never intended for a human to wield, and your body simply isn’t capable of containing it!  You’re turning into a monster, a twisted ruin of a human being.  I am here to help you!”

            “Bullshit!” Adam spat.  “You just told us what you’re really after!  All you want is for me to give Castiel back his Grace so you can have your own pet archangel.  And you’re going to give Cassiel and Dean to demons to be tortured to death?!  Fuck you!  Do whatever the hell you want to me, but I won’t let you have me, I won’t let you hurt them, and I won’t let you turn Castiel into a slave!”

            “Oh, do relax,” Ketch sighed.  “After all, I’ve no intention of harming you!”

            Ketch never looked at them.  He never raised his weapon towards them, or made any sort of threatening move.  But the way he said that, combined with the slow pace he maintained as he walked past the band, made the threat crystal clear to Blake.  And he wasn’t alone.  “Ketch, you bastard!” Bobby yelled.  “Don’t you dare touch those boys!  They’re just a bunch of musicians, and they’re innocent civilians!”

            “No way you can justify taking them hostage and using them as leverage to the motherhouse!” Rufus’s face was twisted in anger as he yelled.  “Connelly, tell him!”

            The red head was nodding.  “I am wondering myself how you intend to explain that one, Ketch.  I did see all six of them on the list of potential prisoners you had approved from the Motherhouse, but I’m puzzled as to how you justified that?”

            “All in good time,” Ketch promised, raising a hand to him.

            Connelly shrugged.  “We’ll see!”

            “Connelly, you can’t just stand by and let him do this!” Rufus roared.

            “Actually, he can,” Ketch corrected.  “He’s here to observe and report back to the motherhouse, Mr. Turner. Any actions I take, I’ll have to justify later, and of course, he can make my life exceptionally difficult. But for now, this remains my operation. And I am in charge of it.”

            “Hey, come on!”  James, looking far less afraid than he did angry.  “You want to threaten us, bring it on, motherfucker!  We’ve been dealing with threats for weeks now, what’s one more? And I’ve made peace with myself and my God.  You want to kill me?  I’m ready! But Matt and PJ and Sam all got families, kids who need their daddies!  At least leave them out of this!”

            Ketch rolled his eyes.  “Perhaps they should have thought of that prior to throwing in their lots with monsters?”

            “No!” Adam screamed.  “You can’t hold them accountable for being around me!”

            “Oh, I assure you, I can!”

            “Ketch!  You want a hostage, I’m right here!” Blake yelled.  “Leave them alone!”

            Now Ketch actually laughed.  “Blake Shelton is a household name!  Difficult enough dealing with everything happening recently around Adam Levine. I’ve no desire to double that! But these gentlemen, while also famous, don’t quite have the celebrity status of the two of you, while at the same time they’re of immense importance to Levine.  They’re perfect!”

            “Ketch, you miserable piece of shit!” Bobby yelled.  “Don’t you dare hurt those boys!”  His face was so flushed that Blake was starting to worry.

            “What the hell are you gonna do to us, huh Ketch?” Matt spat.  “Threaten to feed us to those monsters you have in your zoo?!”

            “Don’t be so dramatic!” Ketch laughed.  “The purpose of the zoo is the same as my organization itself.  It’s all to protect humanity!”

            “By using people as lab rats!” Rufus accused.  “Is that your plan for the band?  You’ve been buying monsters, but even the ones you can cure aren’t ever seen again!”

            Ketch seemed unaffected by the accusation.  “The research is needed.  Humanity needs every weapon it can get against monsters!  If you need proof, look no further than what is right in front of you!”  He paused, looking at Cassiel.  “Unchecked, these monsters will eventually destroy humanity.  We know so little about the heavenly host, have so few weapons against them.  But the power of an angel, if it could be harnessed?  It could destroy a nest of vampires, a den of werewolves...  You’ve seen what the angel can do!  Yours saved your lives, stopped bullets and destroyed criminals.  You know what an advantage it is to have an angel on your side.  Now just imagine the power of an archangel, not just protecting a single group of musicians, but all of humanity!  It’s absolutely blinding!”  He turned back to Adam.  “Levine, with your help, I can save so many!  An archangel can destroy monsters with little more than a thought.  Without even knowing it, hundreds, thousands of people will owe their lives, their freedom, and their continued humanity to you. The ends justify the means a hundred times over!  Help me, and I’ll have no reason to take your friends prisoner!”  He was smiling now as he looked at Adam, eyeing the singer like a piece of meat.  “If you and the archangel would be so kind as to please lock yourselves up?  We can move on, your band can continue in peace, the fathers among them can see their families, and this will all be over for them! If not?  Well, we’ve blocked off this road, ensured no one will be coming anytime soon.  If you continue to resist, then I’m afraid things are about to become decidedly unpleasant!”

            As he’d been speaking, Ketch had continued to pace up and down the line of musicians, moving from Matt on the end farthest from the angels to Jesse on the closest and back.  He paid little attention to Maroon 5.  But as he walked, talking animatedly with his hands, Blake saw something metallic fall out of the Englishman’s pocket, landing on the ground near Jesse.  Jesse saw it, too, and so did Farrar right next to him.  Blake saw both of their faces pale as they stared at it.  Jesse’s jaw set, and Farrar reached for his arm, shaking his head.  _No,_ Blake thought frantically at Jesse.  _Don’t do it, Jesse!  Don’t give him the excuse!_

            But even as he thought this, even as he opened his mouth to warn Jesse off, Blake already knew it was too late.  Maroon 5’s peace-loving resident hippy had finally reached the end of his endurance. Shrugging off Farrar’s hand, Jesse pounced on the hunting knife that had fallen from Ketch’s pocket and lunged towards Ketch.

            Once again, a shot rang out.

            Blake was struggling to get to his feet despite his bound hands, screams of negation tearing from his throat as he stared, horrified, at the wound in Jesse’s chest.  Jesse stood frozen, his mouth open in a silent O of surprise, staring at Ketch, who had turned to look at him.  The knife fell from Jesse’s hand.  He stumbled back, leaning back against Farrar, who was just behind him, frozen in the act of trying to stop his friend.  Farrar clamped his hand over the wound and wrapped his arm around Jesse just as Jesse’s knees buckled.

            The air was full of screams.  Farrar dropped to his knees, lowering Jesse to the ground.  Jesse was lying against his friend’s chest, head resting against Farrar’s shoulder and his eyes fixed on the blood leaking through Farrar’s fingers.  His eyes grew distant.  And then he simply stopped moving.

            Farrar stared at his friend in disbelief.  His shocked blue eyes moved to regard the skinhead who was still standing on the other side of the road, pistol in hand and a satisfied look on his face.  Farrar stared at his own bloody hand.  Then he let Jesse down and stood up.

            That was when Blake saw the rapidly-spreading expanse of blood on Farrar’s chest.

            One more, screams filled the air.  Farrar looked down and poked at the hole in his chest, almost experimentally.  He raised his hand, staring at the blood there, Jesse’s now mixed with his own. Then once more, he went down to his knees.  He lowered his hand, his eyes moving over the two trapped angels, Ketch, his horrified friends, and then went back to Ketch.  His lips moved without sound, forming the word “Why?” that he seemed to direct at Ketch.  And then he simply collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun stared at the author and yelled at her for making him stay up to hear that. Stormed around a bit. Informed the author that she cannot kill off Maroon 5, especially not if Ketch and all his people are still alive! Said Ketch’s come-uppance must be so epic Chuck himself should show up to applaud the author. Said the skinhead with the Camero is like a bad rash.
> 
> Song I used here was "Lullaby For a Soldier (Arms of the Angels)" by Maggie Siff  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsd6DMb5nIo&frags=pl%2Cwn


	16. Justified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ketch's master plan is revealed

            Blake couldn’t see through the haze of tears, couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears.  He was only vaguely aware that he’d been pushed down onto his face again, that shouts and threats were all around.  In his mind, the scene replayed over and over, two friends he’d come to think of as brothers collapsing to the ground, cut down by the same bullet.  And for what?  Sam Farrar’s question, never spoken aloud, rang through Blake’s mind.  _Why why why they were innocent why how could this happen they had families Sam had kids they’d been bouncing on his knee and calling him “Blakey” just a couple months ago why why why why?_

            Connelly was glowering at Ketch.  The overseer had gone to Jesse and Farrar and had checked them, shaken his head.  Now he looked especially annoyed.  “Carmichael you could justify,” he announced.  “He grabbed a weapon and was mounting an unprovoked attack on you, which means he qualified as an armed combatant.  Deadly force was absolutely warranted in his case.  But Farrar?  But I cannot wait for you to try to explain Farrar’s death to the Motherhouse!”

            That seemed to sit poorly with Ketch.  Red-faced and furious, Ketch stormed over to where skinhead stood, blinking stupidly at the two bodies.  “Davis!” he barked.  “Magazine! Now!”

            Davis tore his gaze away from the bodies, scowled and handed over the magazine. 

            Ketch snatched it out of his hand and popped out a bullet.  “Bleeding, buggering _fuck!”_ Ketch yelled, waving the bullet accusingly in the other man’s face. “These are armor piercing rounds! What the hell were you thinking, you incompetent git?!  You were only meant to kill Carmichael, but with these, it’s no bloody wonder it went straight through him!”

            “Don’t look at me!” Davis protested.  “Your asshole assistant gave me that magazine!”

            “And you never bothered to check it?!”

            “I shouldn’t have had to!” Davis countered.  “That stupid son of a bitch knew the mission parameters because he’s the one who gave me my orders!  I was told that you were going to drop a weapon, my job was to shoot to kill whichever one of those assholes grabbed it and went after you, and that was expected to be Carmichael!  That’s all I knew!  So instead of screaming at me, go talk to the guy who sucks your dick under your desk every day, Ketch!”

            “Bollocks!”  Ketch shoved the magazine and bullet back at Davis.  Then he stomped his way back to the angels.

            Adam was screaming and cursing, seeming to press against the flames that confined him.  But Ketch ignored him, moving straight to Dean.  Somehow, Blake could see both Dean and Cassiel in Dean’s face as he spoke. “Let me out!” he was urging.  “I can heal them, bring them back!  You just said that Sam Farrar, at least, wasn’t entirely intentional, Ketch.  If I bring them back, that’s problem solved!”

            Ketch snorted.  “Let you out, an archangel on the loose!  Surely you’re joking!”

            “I’m not!  I give you my word I won’t attack you or try to escape.  Let me out, let me help them, and you can have me!  I’ll lock myself up, I swear it!”

            Ketch raised an eyebrow.  “And the archangel?”

            “You have my word as well, the word of a Prince of Heaven,” Cassiel declared. “Let me help our friend, and I’ll willingly lock myself up.”

            And that, Blake realized with a sinking heart, had been Ketch’s hope all along. The Englishman had known that he couldn’t force the angels to do anything by threatening them directly. But his clever ploy had worked like a charm.  He’d manipulated Jesse into an unprovoked attack, which, according to their rules, authorized the use of deadly force.  Davis had immediately shot to kill.  Now only an angel could save Jesse, which meant Ketch had his leverage to force the angels to comply.  And poor innocent Sam Farrar had simply been the victim of circumstance, in the wrong place at the wrong time, standing directly behind his friend when the deadly round had torn through Jesse’s body.

            Ketch, naturally, was delighted at the archangel’s words.  A smile spread over his face as he regarded Cassiel.  “You’ll lock yourself up now,” he ordered.  “I’ll not have an archangel on the loose! Therefore, if you want to save your friends, you go in chains immediately!  Levine, you’ll be released to heal and return those two men, but _only on the condition that you are immediately locked up afterwards!_   Or I’ll have them both put right back down again!”

            It was a master stroke, and the final nail in their coffin.  Cassiel, naturally, had full control over his powers. Blake knew from experience that, even in his weakened state, the archangel was powerful enough to present a real threat to Ketch and his men, warded or not.  But Adam was a different story.  Adam could bring back his friends, but he likely couldn’t fight off Ketch and his men, not with the warding all around them, most of his friends bound, and everyone held at gunpoint!

            Adam, of course, had already seen this coming.  Only yesterday, he would have scoffed at this, continued to fight and rail and destroyed all of Ketch’s carefully thought-out plans.  But now, thanks to Blake, Adam’s precious heart was back.  And it had been broken by the fall of his friends.  He was already nodding, his hard-fought empathy working against him. “I agree.  Let me out!”

            Ketch smiled.  “First, the archangel!”

            Cassiel was already digging in the bag, dragging out the golden chains and locking them onto himself, tossing the ends outside of the flames as he was instructed.  Ketch was taking no chances.  As soon as the last of the restraints were locked in place, Ketch’s men were on them, pulling them tight.  Once again, the fire extinguishers were put to use, dousing the flames around Cassiel so he could be dragged further back away from the group.  He went without protest.  Only then were the flames doused around Adam so he could come forward.

            Adam was quiet as he approached the still, bloody figures of his friends. “I’m sorry,” he told them.  “I’m so sorry!  Come back!”

            All it took was a touch.  The terrible wounds mended, the still forms twitched, took shuddering breaths and immediately started coughing.  Assisted by PJ, the two sat up, blinking in astonishment at Adam, who smiled at them.

            And then Ketch’s men were on Adam, locking the runed golden chains onto him and dragging him back from his friends.  Cassiel, who had fallen to his knees when Adam used his power, was being forced back up, his captors pulling hard on his chains to drag him back towards a waiting truck that was backing up towards them.  His green eyes moved and fixed on Sam Squared, Dean peering out at his brothers for what might be the last time.  He nodded. And then he was being forced up into the armored truck.

            Now Adam too was being dragged back to the truck.  He struggled and fought against the chains as his frightened hazel eyes found Blake.  “Blake!”

            “Adam, you hang on, baby!” Blake roared.  “I’m coming for you!  I swear to God I’ll come for you!  Just hang on!”

            Adam was nodding, his gaze fixed on Blake.  And then the chains tightened and he was lifted clear off his feet, pulled up into the waiting armored truck like a marionette on strings.  Almost as soon as the doors were closed, the truck was driving away.  Blake’s heart felt as though it was tearing itself out of his chest to go with them.

            Then there was a grunt next to him as Bobby was dragged up.  He and Rufus were being taken as well.  Their plastic ties were cut off, replaced with heavy shackles.  Then they were pushed towards another truck that was backing towards them.  Both glowered furiously at Ketch, but neither said a word.

            “Rufus is an FBI agent!” Blake yelled, desperate.  “You take him, you’re in for a world of hurt, Ketch!”

            “Don’t worry about the FBI,” Ketch called, waving a hand dismissively. “That’s sorted.”

            “Good,” Connelly said.  The red-haired man had moved over to inspect Sam Squared.  “Then do sort this?  I’m quite interested to see how you go about this one!”

            Ketch frowned as he came closer.  Two sets of identical green eyes marked his approach.  Sam Squared looked pale-faced and upset, but Blake was glad to see the defiance that still marked their eyes.  Despite everything, he was also glad Hunter Sam had somehow managed to keep himself in check, that he hadn’t used his powers and given himself away. Realistically, there was little the hunter could have done to stop anything that had just happened.  And right now, Blake knew, those powers were their only chance.

            “Alright, then,” Ketch called, sounding bored.  “This is simple enough.”  He reached for the closest Sam and tore open the collar of his shirt, smiling when the anti-possession tattoo was revealed.  “Here’s our monster!”

            “Hey, asshole?” the other Sam called.  “Might want to double-check that!”

            Ketch’s smile vanished.  He moved to the second Sam, tore open his shirt, and blinked at the identical tattoo. “Clever,” he spat.  “But not clever enough!  One of you is a married man, the other never wore a wedding ring. So I only need to check your hands!” He turned the right Sam around, checked his bound hands, and smiled.  “Not even an indentation of a ring!  And just to be sure...?”

            Blake couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Ketch’s face when he discovered no mark of a ring on the other Sam, either.  “Give it up, Ketch!” he called.  “Those two are absolutely identical!  There is no possible way you can tell them apart!”

            “And you’ll not take in an innocent lawyer,” Connelly added.  The Men of Letters overseer was visibly enjoying Ketch’s frustrated growl.  “You’ve done quite enough today that you’ll have a difficult time explaining.  And you can’t keep this road blocked off much longer, Ketch!  If you can’t determine which of these two men is the monster in the next few minutes, you’ll have no choice but to release them both until you can!”

            Ketch cursed and shook his head.  “I’m not finished!  Give me time!”

            Connelly raised his hands and tilted his head towards Ketch, granting the request.

            Blake dared to hope.  Cassiel and Adam, Blake knew, had done a fantastic job.  Not even dental records would work, as they’d even thought to heal any cavities.  He shot a wink at the band and saw them brighten, hope spreading over their faces as well.  With Hunter Sam and his powers, combined with what Crowley could bring, they had a chance after all!

            Ketch had started to pace, glaring at Sam Squared in frustrated fury. “Alright,” he said, grabbing the Sam on the left.  “Let me talk to this one, and I’ll have my answer.”

            “I’m not telling you a thing,” Left declared.

            “Do your worse!” Right offered.  “We’re not saying a word!”

            The band cheered.  They’d gathered protectively around Farrar and Jesse and were watching the proceedings with anxious glee.

            “Give it to ‘em, guys!”

            “Nice try, Ketch!”

            “You ain’t gonna break them!”

            “Just give it up, man, they’re identical!”

            “The clock is ticking, Ketch!” Connelly called.  The overseer apparently thought as highly of Ketch as Blake did. He wasn’t even trying to hide his smirk.

            “Fine,” Ketch declared, releasing Left.  “Then in that case, be on your way.  Once I’ve secured my prisoners, I’ll send some men round to your house, to speak with the lovely Mrs. Winchester.  And if dear Jess won’t talk, then I’m reasonably certain one of the children will...”

            Blake saw their identical faces go white, and knew it was over.  “It’s me!” Right roared.  “I’m the one you want!”

            The left Sam grimaced.  “Don’t do this!”

            “No, I’m right here, Ketch,” Hunter Sam declared.  “Don’t you fucking _think_ about going after Jess and the kids!”

            Ketch had won.  Blake could only watch, lying on his face on the pavement with his hands tied behind his back as his last hope was dragged roughly away from his devastated counterpart, shackled as Bobby and Rufus had been, and then forced towards the truck. “Remember your promise, Sam Winchester!” he was yelling.  “You remember your promise!”

            “I will!” the lawyer yelled back.

            And then Hunter Sam was in the truck with the others, and the truck was already pulling out.  Blake felt like throwing up.  Across the road, the band had gone silent and still. 

            “Charming,” Ketch called.  “Now there’s just one more thing.  Davis, do go and collect the last two?  There’s a mate.”

            “Last two?  Wha... Hey!”  Blake strained, trying desperately to get to his feet as he saw Davis march towards the band and roughly grab Farrar with one hand and Jesse with the other.

            “Don’t fight!” Lawyer Sam screamed as the band tried frantically to protect their friends.  “Don’t give them a reason to claim self-defense and take more of you! Ketch, you son of a bitch, they’re innocent humans, and all your so-called ‘monsters’ are in those trucks! Y-you can’t possibly justify taking them away now!  Connelly you can’t let him...!”

            “Ah, see, there’s the rub,” Ketch explained pleasantly.  “The Men of Letters will use any means necessary in a true emergency to protect humanity from monsters, which would have been my justification to take the lot of them had Carmichael not attacked me.  But as you’ve so kindly pointed out, I cannot justify that now.  Therefore, standard orders apply.  According to the rules of the Motherhouse, whenever possible, hunters in the field are to leave free and unharmed any humans not directly, measurably, and permanently altered by their association with supernatural monsters.  It applies to Mr. Shelton, and to the rest of the band.  It seems to me I could make a case for taking you, Winchester, but as I can’t prove a healed tattoo and the mark of a ring, it’s more trouble than it’s worth to justify.  But these two?”  He indicated Farrar and Jesse, who were being dragged towards yet another truck.  “We witnessed their death, and their subsequent resurrection.  That, I assure you, qualifies as a direct, measurable, and permanent alteration by association with a supernatural creature.  And that means taking them into custody is absolutely justified!”  He raised his voice.  “Get them restrained and in the truck, please, and let’s do get moving? We’ve spent enough time camped out here waiting for them to realize they were surrounded and make a break for that cabin!”

            “You bastard,” Blake groaned.  “Oh, you bastard, I’ll...!”

            “Now, in the event anyone considers doing something foolish?” Ketch continued. “Well, as they’ve been permanently altered by the supernatural, I do believe that means they’re monsters too, aren’t they?  But unlike the others, they have very little value outside of research subjects. Provided everyone cooperates, there’s no reason they should be harmed.  And by everyone, I do mean everyone, monsters and otherwise!”  He tipped an imaginary hat towards the silent group.  “Good day, gentlemen!  Pleasure doing business with you!”

            Jesse had been pushed towards another of Ketch’s men.  The musician appeared frozen with fear, much as Blake had seen him do while practicing self-defense moves with the band.  He simply stood in one place, wild-eyed and shaking, as his hands were bound behind his back with a plastic tie.  He gave a little cry as he was lifted and placed in the back of the truck.  That was all.

            Farrar was a different story.  From the moment the larger man had grabbed hold of him, he’d been struggling with Davis. Farrar appeared to be trying to use one of the moves Dean and Hunter Sam taught him, but as usual, he had it all wrong. Eventually he gave up and settled for bringing a knee sharply into the larger man’s groin.  That made Davis yelp in pain.  It also earned Farrar a blow in the stomach that doubled him over and knocked the wind out of him.  After that, there was no further incident.  Davis ignored the shouting, quickly bound Farrar, threw the gasping musician over his shoulder, and climbed up into the back of the truck with him.

            A moment later, Davis jumped back out.  The back of the truck was closed.  Ketch and his men piled into the remaining vehicles, and the Men of Letters were on their way.

            Blake lay where he was.  The sudden silence was almost jarring.  It was broken by the slight sound of Lawyer Sam’s knees landing on the pavement next to Blake.  With his hands still bound in the plastic tie, the lawyer could do nothing more than look at Blake.  “Blake?” he whispered.

            Blake couldn’t answer.  Far too late, the first drops of rain began to splash all around him, quickly turning into a deluge.  It almost seemed as if Heaven itself was mocking him now.

            Across the street, James was directing PJ to get into his pocket, looking for the miniature folding knife he had on his key ring and cut them loose.  And soon, everyone was free of the plastic ties.

            Matt, James, PJ, and Mickey come closer.  They joined Lawyer Sam and stood waiting, looking at Blake.  He could feel their eyes on him, the expectation as they waited for Blake to tell them what to do, where to go from here.  But Blake had nothing to tell them.  He leaned on the hood of the car and closed his eyes, letting the pouring rain chill his body to match his heart.  _Please,_  he prayed.  But his prayer got no further before the cowboy broke, dissolving into tears that nothing and no one could have held back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks Ketch just made a bad mistake by putting Hunter Sam, with his powers, in with Bobby and Rufus. Liked that Farrar got Davis in the nuts. But also gave the author a lot of dirty looks. Says he does not care if he has to drop a planet on that son of a bitch, it will be epic!


	17. Escape Artist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alone in the truck, Jesse and Sam Farrar have one chance to escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to take a moment to give a shout-out to those readers who have encouraged me all this time with your kudos, your comments here and on Twitter, Tumblr, or via e-mail, and your continued readership. You will never know how much it means! As we start to see the finish line here, I wanted you to know that you're the reason I kept doing this. From "Spoils of War" on through, for nearly two years you're the reason I put so much time and effort into posting, and it's your support that I'll cherish when this is finished. Luv you all so much!

            The truck, normally used for transporting supplies, bounced and jolted as it traveled.  Wind whistled through the canvas covering.  Between the wind, the rain, the noise of the truck engine, and the rattling of the equipment in the back of the truck, the two bound prisoners needed to shout to be heard.

            “Where the hell are these assholes taking us, Sammy?” Jesse called anxiously. “You think they’re taking us to that hospital complex where they have Castiel?”

            “Jesse, how the fuck am I supposed to know?!  But I hope so!  I have no idea how they’d get into it, but at least Blake and the others would know where we are!”  Sam strained, trying again to free himself or at least win some slack without success. He was seated against the wall of the truck, tucked neatly in between some fastened-down equipment that he kicked in frustration.  “Dammit! I cannot believe that fucker shot you and then kidnapped us both!  This is such bullshit!”

            Jesse eyed Sam.  “You ok, buddy?  That skinhead guy really hit you hard!”

            “Still aches a bit,” Sam confessed.  “Second time he hit me, too.  First time was outside of the truck.  He knocked the wind out of me because I kicked him in the nuts, and then he hit me again once he brought me in here because I was trying to kick him again!”

            Jesse grimaced.  “At least you tried to fight!  I just fucking froze!  For real, though, are you alright?”

            “I think I’m probably gonna bruise, but I’ve had worse.”  Sam closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. “Probably going to _get_ worse!  Did you hear that bastard out there?  Ketch basically said we get it if anyone doesn’t toe the line!  Won’t matter, though.  I bet they sell us as lab rats like Rufus was saying.  After all, we’re monsters now, right?”  Sam shook his head.  “This isn’t gonna be good, buddy!”

            “I’m sorry, Sammy!”  Jesse’s eyes were pleading as he lay on the floor.  “I’m so, so sorry!  He played me like a fiddle, didn’t he?  Son of a bitch was monologuing, fucking with Adam, and I just kept getting more and more pissed off, and then that knife fell right in front of me and I just lost it! I was an idiot for falling for that! And if you hadn’t been holding onto me...?”

            “Jesse, shut the fuck up, alright?  We both got shot with the same bullet because fucking Ketch is a piece of shit!  Then he’s the one who decided to drag us off, so it’s all on him, ok?”  He strained again, grimacing as his bruised abdomen ached. Then he growled, struggling wildly for a moment before again kicking the equipment.  “Fuck!  What the hell are we gonna do?!  They’re taking us away, and I can’t get out of this shit!”

            “Yeah, I’m kind of stuck too.  Stupid plastic ties!”  Jesse suddenly paused, eyes going wide.  “Wait a minute!  I saw something once about these ties.  If we can get our hands up in front of us, we can get out of them!”

            “For real?”

            “Yeah, man!”  Jesse started squirming, rolling around on the floor of the truck, hindered by the boxes piled around them.

            “And you just now thought of this?!” Sam accused.  “Dude, that would have been, like, the first thing on my mind as soon as they put this shit on me!”

            “This, from the asshole who didn’t think to use his cell phone to call for help when Bobby first kidnapped us?!”

            “Water under the bridge!” Sam protested.  “Focus on the here and now!  If you can get out of these damned things, then hurry up and get us out!”

            Jesse grunted.  “I’m working on it!”

            “How the hell do you even know about this?” Sam wondered.  “What kind of weird-ass kinky bondage shit do you watch?”

             “It wasn’t a porno, you asshole!  It was a show about life hacks.”

            Sam groaned and thumped the back of his head against the wall.  “Oh, perfect!  You’re an idiot, Jesse!”

            “Shut up, I’m trying to concentrate!”  Jesse had managed to get his hands over his hips and under his thighs. His face was twisted in concentration as he maneuvered his slender body.  A bit of wiggling later, and he whooped in triumph as his hands slid over his feet.  “Got it!”

            “You beautiful flexible fucker you!” Sam cheered.  “Ok, now what’s step two?  Let’s see this life hack!”

            “Ok, here we go.”  Jesse managed his knees, bringing his hands to his teeth.

            Sam stared.  “Are you seriously planning to chew through those?”

            “No, dipshit, I’m pulling the connecter up front!” Jesse managed from between his teeth.  “That’s the weak spot.  Just shut up and watch!”  He’d caught the end of the long tie in his teeth and was tugging on it, sliding the plastic tie around on his wrists.  Then he tugged some more, grimacing as the tie grew tight.

            “Hey dumbass, you’re supposed to be getting _out_ of those, not making them tighter!”

            “They gotta be tight for this to work!  The tighter the better!”

            “Well then I’m in luck!  That son of a bitch tied me so tight it’s cutting off circulation!  Whatever you’re doing, how about hurrying it up?!”

            “I’m working on it!”  Jesse gave the tie another tug and released it from his teeth.  “Ok, here we go.”  He raised his confined hands over his head.  “You have to use the strength in your arms, chest, and shoulders to do this. You raise your hands up like this, and then you...”  He brought his arms sharply down, bringing elbows out to the sides.

            There was a snap.  Both men stared at the broken plastic tie that fell onto the floor.  Jesse jumped up, staring at his free hands.  “Oh, _yeah!”_

            “Holy fuck, it worked!” Sam crowed.  “Dude, you rock!!”

            “That hurt like a motherfucker, but dig it, man!  I busted out!”  Jesse cackled hysterically.  He did a wild hip-thrusting dance, pumping his arms.  “Hercules!  Hercules!”

            “Oh, hell yes!  I could fucking kiss you right now!  Oh, thank God!”  Sam closed his eyes and leaned his head back in relief.  “Ok, now how about you quit dancing like an idiot and get me loose?”

            Jesse nodded.  “Ok, first you gotta get your hands in front of you.”

            Sam opened his eyes.  “I can’t!”

            “What do you mean you can’t?”

            “What part of ‘I can’t’ isn’t clear?  If I could do that, don’t you think I’d have done it by now?!”

            Jesse rolled his eyes.  “Come on, Sammy, you’re not that out of shape!”

            “Dude, I’m tied up!”

            “No shit, Sherlock!”

            “No, I mean I’m tied into this truck!”  Sam leaned forward and jerked on his wrists.  “I kneed that asshole in the nuts when he grabbed me, and it pissed him off, remember?  He must have been seriously pissed, because he put two of those stupid ties on me!”

            “What?”

            “Yeah, he used another tie and tied me to this ring behind me.”  He shook his head.  “Bastard!”

            Jesse stilled.  “So, you’ve got two of those ties on you?”

            “Yeah, man, he was a prick!  He hit me, tied me up, tied me to this ring thing here and hit me again!  Fucking asshole!”  He irritably jerked on his wrists again.  “Whatever, fuck him!  Just get me loose and let’s jump the hell out of this truck!”

            “Right!  Um...” Jesse frantically looked around. Then he began digging into the supply crates.  “Shit, shit, shit...  This is just, like, camping equipment!”

            “Well, there’s gotta be a knife or something!”

            “No, dude, it’s just tents and food and shit!”

            “Then try somewhere else!”  Sam was struggling to keep calm.  “Hurry up and get me untied so we can get out of here!”

            Jesse rapidly dug through more of the equipment.  “There’s metal stakes here.”

            “Ok, use that!”

            “Right!”  Jesse snatched a stake, staring at it.  It was little more than oversized nail, with nothing sharp about it.  It would have to do.

            “Come on, dammit, get this shit off of me!  My hands are going numb!”

            “Alright!”  Jesse knelt down next to his friend, pushed Sam forward, and examined his bindings. To his dismay, he realized that his friend was wrong.  Sure enough, multiple plastic ties had been wrapped around Sam’s wrists, cutting cruelly into his skin.  One tie fastened Sam’s wrists tightly together behind his back.  But two more ties had been threaded through a metal ring used to tie down equipment before they too wrapped around Sam’s wrists. They’d been tangled together, and were so tight that Sam’s wrists were flush against the ring, with the ring itself tucked slightly between them and no real space for him to wiggle.  Jesse stared with a sinking heart.  “Holy shit, Sammy, you must have seriously pissed that guy off!”

            “Yeah, I hope he’s impotent now.  Just wish I could have got him again!”  He shook his wrists impatiently.  “Dude, what the fuck are you waiting for?  Get me untied, man!”

            “Um, yeah, just hang on, Sammy.  I’m trying to figure out how to do this.”  He shook his head.  “He really tied you tight!  There’s actually three ties here!”

            “Seriously?!  Oh, that asshole!  I didn’t realize he put two more ties on me when he tied me here.  I just knew he made ‘em way too tight!  Fucker pulled so hard when he tied me to this stupid thing that I think he almost gave himself a hernia!  I can’t even sit up straight!!”

            “Yeah, that’s the problem, Sam.  There’s no slack for me to work with here!  I’m not sure how I can get you out of this!”

            Sam looked back.  “What do you mean?  Jesse, don’t do this shit to me, brother!  I need you to help me!  Come on, get me loose!”

            Jesse sputtered.  “Oh for...! Hang on, and hold really still!” Jesse readied the stake, and hesitated. “I think this is gonna hurt, buddy.”

            “I don’t care, just get me loose!  Come on, Jesse, we need to get out of this truck!”  Sam’s breath was starting to quicken, but he obediently held still.

            Jesse carefully wedged the tip of the stake into the gap between the ring and Sam’s wrists, trying to slip it under one of the ties.  He could barely get the tip in.  He tried pushing down and heard Sam hiss in pain.  “Sorry!”

            “I’m fine, just get me untied!”

            But Jesse had already realized that this wouldn’t work.  He’d originally thought he could wedge the stake between the plastic tie and the ring and use it as a lever to snap the tie.  But there simply wasn’t enough room to get the stake in. Even the little he’d managed was hurting Sam with no results.  Desperate, Jesse tried scraping the dull point against the tie.  It didn’t even make a mark.  With a curse, Jesse fumbled around Sam’s wrists, feeling for the connectors.  He found one pressed against the side of Sam’s right wrist and tried tugging the tie around, hoping he could get the connector around to where he could try hammering against it with the point of the stake.  But the plastic tie was so tight and tangled that he couldn’t budge it. Desperate, he searched for the other two, but couldn’t find them.  They must be under the other ties.

            That meant he was out of options.

            With a heavy heart, Jesse sank back onto his haunches and turned chagrined blue eyes on his friend.  “Sam? I’m sorry!  I can’t get you out of this!”

            “Wh-what do you mean?  Come on, this isn’t funny!  That son of a bitch fucking _shot_ us, just to force Adam and Dean to cooperate!  What the hell is he going to do to us when we get wherever we’re going?!” Sam’s breathing was in quick, panting gasps now, panic taking over.  He pulled desperately against the plastic ties.  “Let me go!  We gotta get out of here!  You gotta get me untied, Jesse, please!  There’s all kinds of shit back here, there’s got to be something!”

            Jesse nodded.  Then he went on a tear through the equipment, searching for anything he could use to free his friend.  But all he found was more food and camping equipment.  The tents were of no use.  Neither was the furniture or the containers of food and water.  He found a box of MREs and tore hopefully into one, hoping to find a knife, only to stare in dismay at the plastic spoon inside.  Frustrated, he hurled it into the corner.  There was nothing here.  Of course not.  Ketch had probably planned to take him all along and wouldn’t put him, unguarded, into a truck if there was anything he could use to free himself.  And Sam, Sam shouldn’t even be here!  Jesse clutched at his hair.  “Fuck!  _Fuck!_   What do we do?  I can’t get you loose, Sammy, what the fuck are we gonna do?!”

            Sam, apparently, had already realized the truth of his situation.  His blue eyes were blank, his body shaking. “Jesse?” he said.  “I can’t get out of this, Jesse!  I can’t get away!  What the fuck are they gonna do to me?  Jesse, what’s going to happen to me?  They’re going to take me to that lab, like Rufus said, and they’re gonna hurt me! They’re going to experiment on me, and use me to control everyone else!”  The wide blue eyes that turned to Jesse were devoid of hope.  “Jesse, I’m so fucking scared!”

            Jesse panicked.  He grabbed his friend’s shoulders and yanked Sam forward, ignoring the cries of pain as he desperately tried to break the ties.  “Stop, stop, you’re hurting me, this isn’t going to work!” Sam yelled. “Jesse, please stop!”

            With a cry of despair, Jesse let him go and dropped to his knees.  He looked behind his friend and saw a small trickle of blood running down Sam’s hands.  The twisted plastic tie had sliced into his skin.  Jesse crawled back in horror.  He sobbed and clutched at his hair.  “I’m sorry!  I don’t know what to do!  What do I do, Sammy?  You’re the smart one, tell me what to do!”

            Sam didn’t answer right away.  He’d brought his legs up and had buried his face in his knees.  Now he gave a small whimper.  “Jesse?”

            Jesse immediately moved to his friend.  “I’m here, Sammy!”

            “Look out the back.  Is anyone behind us?”

            Jesse crawled to the back of the truck and peeked through the canvas. “Yeah, there’s another truck back there. We’re part of a caravan!  Ketch must have brought along a whole camped-out group, just waiting for us to drive right into that ambush!  Why?”

            Sam nodded, his face still buried in his knees.  “You gotta get out of here, Jesse.”

            “What?!”

            “You gotta go, get help!”  Now Sam raised his face, fixing his eyes on his friend.  “How close are we being followed?”

            “Dude, they’re tailgating us!”

            “Ok, perfect.”  Sam licked his lips.  Then he pointed with his chin towards the closest box of tents.  “Grab one of those and throw it out the back at the other truck. You gotta hit their windshield, ok? Make them stop!  They’ll radio ahead for sure.  Then, once this truck slows down to see what happened, you jump out and you run like hell!”

            “And leave you behind?!  Sam...!”

            “You gotta go, Jesse!”  Sam’s eyes squeezed shut, his head lowered again to his knees.  “You can’t help me, but you’re loose, and you’ve got a chance! You have got to go!”

            Jesse shook his head.  “I can’t! I can’t just leave you here, how can you ask me...?”

            Sam looked up again, suddenly angry.  “You can’t help me, Jesse!  You can’t get me loose, and you can’t help anyone if you just let them take you! You got one chance!  Hit the windshield, take that stupid fucking stake for a weapon, and you run your skinny ass off!  Go find Blake, get some help, and get us all out of this! Please, Jesse, you’re the only chance I’ve got!  Get out, find Blake, and then come find us!”

            Jesse’s face contorted.  “Sam...” He swallowed.  Then he took his friend’s head in both hands, pressing their foreheads together.  “I’m sorry, Sammy!  I’ll get you out of this, I swear it, just hang on!”

            Sam nodded.  “Don’t let them catch you again!”  He looked hard at his friend.  “Jesse, when that asshole tied me in here, he said ‘Wait until I get you to the gap.’ I think he was threatening me, but I also think it has to do with where we’re going, where he’s taking me.  It might be important, so tell Blake!”

            “Got it.”  Letting go of Sam was the hardest thing Jesse had ever done.

            Jesse tucked the stake into his belt.  Moving to the box of tents, he dragged one out.  Carefully, he undid the strings holding the rear of the canvas cover together, taking pains to avoid being seen from the outside.  Then he readied the tent.  He peeked through the back, taking aim, counted to three, and quickly threw the tent out the back of the truck.

            His aim was all but perfect.  The tent sailed out, caught on the hood, and immediately billowed up and over the windshield.  The driver slammed on the brakes, the truck coming to a stop with a squeal of tires, followed by a loud crash.

            Jesse whooped.  “Hot damn, the truck behind them just rear-ended them!” he reported.  “Two for one!”

            “Nice!”

            Then the truck they were in abruptly slowed.  Jesse froze, staring back at Sam.

            Sam was looking up at him with frightened blue eyes.  “Go, Jesse!” he ordered.  “Go!  _Go!_ ”

            Jesse swallowed hard, nodded, and took his tent stake in hand.  Then he was under the canvas, over the tailgate and on the run, as fast as he could go.

            Shouts rang out almost immediately.  Jesse lowered his head and focused on running.  He raced past a building that appeared abandoned, heading out through an open field.  Fucking midwest and their fucking wide-open plains!  He’d picked the worst possible place to make a run for it.  The closest thing he saw to cover was a shrub with delusions of grandeur.  His back itched, right between his shoulder blades.  The lower part of his shirt, from his sternum down to his waist, was still tacky with blood that had not yet dried.  The holes left by the entrance and exit of the bullet let cool air through to his newly-healed skin.  Was he about to get another hole, another bullet right where his shoulder blades itched? He remembered very little about being shot.  It felt more like a punch, followed by cold, and then darkness.  Then he’d awakened looking up at Adam.  But neither Adam nor Dean nor Cassiel or even Castiel was here now. Ketch hadn’t hesitated at setting him up to be shot, nor had he batted an eyelash about abducting him and Sam. Jesse knew Ketch had only taken him to control the others.  Now they were going to shoot him again.  He’d die here in this stupid field.  Any second, the bullet would tear through him again, ripping apart flesh that had only recently been restored.  Would he even hear the shot?

            He kept running, waiting for the inevitable impact of the bullet, and spotted the drain pipe.  Any other time, he’d have run straight past it.

            Jesse dove onto his stomach, crawling and then worming into the narrow pipe.  It was barely wide enough to accept his slender frame.  The pipe, used to drain the field, was cramped, it smelled, and the bottom of it was covered with thick, slimy muck.  Ahead of him, it was pitch black.

            But it was what was behind him that occupied Jesse’s attention right now.  As he rapidly pulled himself deeper and deeper into the darkness, he could hear shouts, followed by curses.  Jesse dared to hope.  All of Ketch’s men were big, strong mercenary types, loaded down with gear. Even if they stripped down, none of them could manage to squeeze into this pipe.  “Shoot the fucker!” someone yelled.

            “It curves!” someone else retorted.  “You shoot in there, and get the ricochet in the face!”

            “This pipe has to come out somewhere!”

            “You tell me where!”

            Swearing.  “Look around, see if it comes out nearby.  Find the son of a bitch!”

            By now, Jesse could barely hear them.  He kept crawling, moving into the darkness.

            It was like crawling into the grave.

****

            Sam twisted his hands in their ties without much hope, glaring up at the three men who had climbed up into the truck.  The asshole who’d tied him up was in front.  Naturally.  Sam scooted back, sitting up as much as he could, and glared at him.  “Yeah, I’m still here,” he snapped.

            “Looks like you still got one of your playmates, huh, Davis?” one of the other men noted.  “Lucky you, the one Ketch wanted got away, but you still got the one you’re gonna get raked over the coals over!”

            Davis didn’t say a word.  All he did was step forward, drawing back a fisted hand.  The blow made Sam’s ears ring, made stars flash before his eyes.  He shook his head to clear it, only to receive another hit.  Sam groaned and glared back up at the man.  “Oh, sure, come in here and beat the shit out of me while I’m tied up and can’t defend myself?!  Untie me and try that, motherfucker!”

            Davis hit him again.

            The other two men were inspecting the mess in the back of the truck, poking with their weapons through the equipment Jesse had scattered on the floor and looking disgusted.  Meanwhile, Davis had knelt down next to Sam and was checking his ties.  “He’s not going anywhere,” Davis announced.  “Let’s get going.”  He patted Sam’s shoulder amicably.  “Maybe quit struggling so much?  You got your wrists all tore up, and your momma’s not here to put a band-aid on your boo boos.  Of course, where we’re going, you’re gonna get a lot more boo boos than that!  Might make it easier if you tell me just where it is your friend thinks he’s going?”

            Sam spit on him.  “Fuck you!”

            That earned him another blow.  Sam grunted and then kicked furiously at his tormentor.  “Let me go, you piece of shit!  Fucking untie me, and then we’ll see you try to hit me again!”

            Davis looked irritated.  Moving quickly, he pinned Sam’s legs, sat on them, and quickly secured his ankles with a plastic tie.  “Next step is I fold you backwards and tie your ankles to your wrists,” he explained as he got up.  “You want to keep fighting?  I got a lot of tension to burn off, and I can keep this shit up all day!”

            Sam looked away.

            Satisfied, Davis pulled out a radio.  “We don’t have time for this, and we only need one of them alive anyway,” he called into it.  “This one’s fine.  Just shoot that other fucker!”  Then he and the other two climbed back out of the truck.  And a moment later, they were on their way.

            Sam leaned back and tried to calm his growing panic.  He hadn’t heard any gunshots.  Did that mean his friend had managed to escape?  _Please, God,_ he prayed.  _I never believed in you, and I’ve got no idea if you’re really there.  But if you are, please let Jesse be safe!  Please let him find help!_

            No answer.  Naturally. Sam strained around, tried to look through the bottom of the canvas covering and see if there was any sign of his friend.  But all he could see was passing plains.  He slumped, feeling trapped and hopeless.  The amulet Lawyer Sam had given him rubbed on his chest.  He didn’t have to look at it to know it wasn’t glowing.  There was no God here.  He was on his own.

****

            Light.

            Jesse carefully edged towards the end of the pipe and peered out, watching and listening for any sign of his pursuers.  He’d never been more filthy in his life.  His elbows were scraped and bleeding, as were his knees and his shoulder where he’d brushed against something sharp inside the pipe.  Infection was a real risk, but there was little he could do about it now.

            Outside it was silent and still.  The opening of the pipe was completely overgrown.  No wonder it was so full of gunk.  The vegetation was so thick it was all he could do to push his way out.  But at least it provided cover.  Jesse carefully peeked out, saw no one, and climbed out of the pipe.  He got to his feet, crouching, and looked back.

            He was some distance from the road, but not nearly as far as he’d thought after all that crawling.  He ducked back down into the weeds, watching as several men with weapons argued at the side of the road.  The weeds, he realized, were so thick they must have hidden the end of the pipe. That was nothing short of miracle. And now, another miracle, the men climbing back into the truck, the truck starting away.

            _They’re giving up,_ Jesse thought with relief.  _They’ve stopped chasing me!  I got away!_

            For a moment, he simply stood where he was, breathing deeply to center himself, savoring every breath of free air.  He let the faces of his friends fill his mind.  Adam.  Castiel. Dean and Cassiel.  Bobby.  Rufus. Hunter Sam.  Sam Farrar.  They needed him.  He couldn’t fail them now.

            Jesse climbed up out of the weeds and started jogging, heading back down the road.  Somewhere, somehow, he had to get help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said, “Come on, Chuck! You should be rescuing them by now!” Did the “Hercules” dance with Jesse. Said it was so sad about those city boys because he could have used that camping equipment somehow to get Sam loose. “There’s no doubt in my mind I’d have gotten him loose!” Said Mr. “I-can-beat-you-up-while-you’re-tied-up” Davis will have his come-uppance. Said he wants to know where Crowley is? This all could have been resolved if he hadn’t run away like the little bitch he is. Thinks maybe he’s hiding from Azazel.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Does the technique Jesse uses here for breaking free of plastic ties actually work? Yes it does, and it apparently also works for duct tape! There's an alternate method using shoelaces to saw through plastic ties as well. Look it up! Who knows, maybe it will someday save your life!
> 
> The "Chuck" that Mr. Fun is referencing here is Chuck Shurley. Chuck was a prophet who had visions of Sam and Dean's adventures he turned into a series of books called "Supernatural." In later episodes, it's revealed that Chuck is actually God, roaming the Earth in human form for reasons of his own.


	18. Into Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davis is having a very bad day, and it's only getting worse. The Unicorn Gang realizes the extent of their predicament.

            Davis climbed into the back of the truck.  Farrar looked up at him, and then quickly looked away.  The side of his face was darkening with bruises.  He said nothing as Davis came closer.  “Welcome home!” Davis called down to him.  “You gonna cause trouble?”

            Farrar shook his head, still not looking up.  His breath was coming quick, his blue eyes fixed on his knees as he pulled his legs up, getting himself into more of a ball.  It was a defensive move, Davis realized.  Farrar was afraid of him.  Good.  That meant he was less likely to keep fighting.

            Davis hummed, satisfied.  He bent down with a pair of metal clippers in hand and quickly snipped the ties securing the musician to the ring.  Then he hooked his hand under Farrar’s arm and dragged him to his feet.  Farrar swayed, wincing as he tried to balance on feet that had probably gone numb.  But he didn’t have to stand for long.  Davis pocketed the clippers and then dumped Farrar over his shoulder.  It wasn’t easy.  Farrar was over six feet tall, but at least he was thin.

            Naturally, he wasn’t happy about it.  “Hey!  Let me down!  Why are you carrying me?  I can walk if you just let my legs go!”

            Yeah, that wasn’t happening.  The bastard had already kicked him enough.  Annoying that now Davis had to carry him, but the alternative was marginally worse.  Davis ignored him, moved down the ramp and started towards the left, where two other trucks were waiting.  Then he stopped, set Farrar on his feet with an arm around him to steady him, and let the people there get a good look.

            Immediately the yelling began.  “Ketch, what the fuck?!” Turner roared over the others.  “You took a civilian?  How the hell are you gonna explain that to the motherhouse?!”

            “He was killed, and then resurrected by an angelic vessel,” Ketch informed them without looking over.  His eyes were on Levine, who was being dragged out of the armored truck.  “That means he’s been permanently altered by contact with a supernatural being, which makes him a monster.  His capture was completely justified.  I just asked Davis to bring him around so you’re all fully aware of his presence.  What happens to him from this point on is largely dependent on you.”

            Davis saw their faces pale as the implications sank in.  “He’s innocent!” Sam Winchester yelled.  “Are those bruises on his face?  What did you do to him?!  Did you hit him?!  You fucking hit him!  You can’t do this!  He’s just an innocent bystander who wouldn’t even have gotten shot if it hadn’t been for that fucker holding him!”

            “Talk to that idiot Charles,” Davis called.

            “Never mind that,” Ketch snapped, suddenly annoyed.  “Where’s the other one, Carmichael?”

            “Dead,” Davis declared.  “Bastard got loose and decided to run, so we dropped him in a field.  Toss up if a farmer finds him before the coyotes do. Don’t worry, he’ll just be another kidnap victim of that group Levine made up, one that tried to run and got shot for it.”  It was probably true, Davis reasoned.  It wasn’t like the scrawny musician was going to get away from a group of trained operatives.

            He felt Farrar start to shake as the other prisoners started screaming in negation. Levine was beside himself, cursing and struggling.  “You bastards!  How could you kill him?!  Jesse was no threat to anyone!”

            “Ketch, you miserable piece of shit!” Singer yelled.  “I swear to all that’s holy I will see you in Hell for killing that boy!”

            Ketch waved negligently at him, his eyes still on Levine, who was sobbing now as he continued struggling against the chains.  And now Farrar was starting to fight again.  Davis growled in annoyance.

            “Sam!”  Sam Winchester was yelling now.  “Sam, don’t fight, do you hear me?  Don’t give them any more reasons to hurt you!  We’re getting out of this, just hang on!”

            Farrar froze and nodded.  He looked terrified, his blue eyes the size of saucers as they watched his friends. Davis hoped he took Winchester’s advice. It was good advice.

            Meanwhile, the three humans were being taken to the A building, where subjects were kept for study and controlled testing.  They wouldn’t leave it unless it was in a body bag.  Davis didn’t care, so long as he got his share of their bounties. The three were clearly upset, but it seemed all three were taking Winchester’s advice.  They were disappointingly cooperative.  Too bad. 

            The two angelic vessels, though, were more than making up for the lack of fight in their friends.  They yelled and fought and cursed as they were being dragged into C building, which housed Ketch’s zoo.  The sight made Davis smile.  “Hey, Winchester?” he called.  “Told you I’d get you!”

            Fortunately, it looked like Winchester was in charge of his vessel at the moment.  The green eyes were furious as they glared at Davis.  Winchester strained and managed to raise his clenched fists, displaying both middle fingers.  Davis smiled wider and nodded at a couple of the handlers with him.  The two nodded back.  Then they jerked Winchester’s feet out from under him.  Winchester went down, cursing and kicking as he tangled in his chains, ending up suspended just above the ground until he could manage his feet again and be dragged the rest of the way into the building.  Davis laughed, delighted.  Perfect.  He couldn’t wait to be there when Ketch handed the son of a bitch over to the demons.

            “You’re a bastard.”

            It was quiet, almost a whisper, but Farrar, apparently, still had a bit of spirit. Davis chuckled.  He tossed the musician over his shoulder again and headed towards Ketch and Connelly.  Farrar didn’t fight or argue, passively letting himself be carried.  Good.

            Ketch looked up as Davis approached and narrowed his eyes.  “Our Overseer and I were just discussing you, Davis,” he announced.  “You are perilously close to being drummed out of the organization altogether!  How could you be so careless and negligent as to not properly check your weapon prior to going out into the field?!”

            “I shouldn’t have had to!” Davis shot back.  “Your stupid asshole of an assistant gave me my weapon and ammo.  I don’t see you getting on his shit!”

            “I’ve been reviewing your performances recently,” Connelly said, his eyes on his iPad. “It’s been a series of one failure or act of gross misconduct after another!  Davis, you exemplify everything that’s wrong with American hunters!”

            “Whatever,” Davis growled.  “Just make sure I get my money!”

            “About that,” Ketch called.  “Davis, since you’re the one who not only created this disaster but also lost Carmichael? You’ll be forfeiting part of your share in these bounties.”

            Davis sputtered.  _“What?”_

            “I agree,” Connelly added.  The red haired pompous fuck was busy with his iPad and didn’t bother looking up.  “Your failure to properly secure and check your equipment is going to result in a significant drain on our resources to cover up the loss of two well-known musicians.  And since you then managed to lose one of them, didn’t even bother to recover the body, and we’ll have a murder to cover up as well?  The drain is even worse!”  He pinched his lips, doing quick calculations in his head.  “I imagine a reduction of about two-thirds should be sufficient, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Ketch?”

            “Sounds reasonable enough.”

            “You arrogant English motherfuckers!” Davis roared.  “I worked just as hard or harder than anyone else for that money!”

            “And if you’d actually done any of that work right, you’d have it!” Ketch spat with a sneer.  “You’ll get a third of the bounties for the monsters, and, since you’re the reason he’s here in the first place, I’ll let you keep Farrar.  You can sell him to A building and earn yourself a bit more.” He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.  “Congratulations, you’re now the proud owner of a new pet.  Keep him alive, we may need him.”

            Davis rolled his eyes.  “Whatever!” Fucking Ketch.  Furious, Davis stomped his way towards Administration.

            He found Ketch’s bootlick standing outside, writing on a clipboard.  The scrawny bastard paled at the sight of Davis. Apparently, Davis looked as angry as he felt.  He stormed over, grabbed Charles’s collar with his free hand, and gave him a harsh shake. “What the hell were you thinking, giving me armor piercing rounds?!” he snarled.  “You stupid son of a bitch!”

            “I’m sorry, Mr. Davis!” Charles squeaked.

            “You’re sorry?!”  Davis shook him again.  “Do you have any idea how much you just cost me?!  Your fucking limey boss just took two thirds of my bounty!  Now what the hell are you going to do about it, you little shit?!”

            “I’m sorry, Mr. Davis!” Charles repeated.  “I’ll be certain to send you any and all high bounties that go up on the board!”

            “Whatever!”  Davis shoved the cowering assistant away in disgust.  “I should break you in half, but I gotta sell my prisoner.  At least I can get something out of this mess.”

            As he started back, Farrar shifted over his shoulder.  “Wait!  Don’t sell me to your lab.  If you want money, I’ve got money!  Just let me go!  I’ll make it worth your while!”

            Nothing he hadn’t heard from dozens of other prisoners he’d sold.  Of course, in Farrar’s case, he actually did have money. But Davis knew better.  Even if letting the musician go after all he’d seen was anywhere in the cards, taking Farrar up on his offer would only result in Davis getting arrested the instant he tried to collect his money.  Besides, the bastard had pissed him off once too often. And apparently, Farrar was smart enough to figure it out.  He squirmed over Davis’s shoulder, looking at the building signs.  “Where are you taking me?” he asked.  “We’re passing the A building!  What are you going to do to me?!”

            Davis didn’t answer.  Ignoring A building, he carried his prisoner a bit further, entering another building. Then he traveled down the hall and set Farrar back on his feet again.  Steadying Farrar with one hand, Davis knocked on the door.

            A woman in a white lab coat opened the door and blinked at him.  Her eyes took in the blood on Farrar’s shirt with interest.  “Resurrection subject?  Excellent!  Spell?”

            “Even better - Angel Grace!  I expect top dollar.”

            She brightened.  “Wonderful! Any stipulations?”

            “Ketch just wants him kept alive,” Davis explained.  “Beyond that, knock yourselves out.”

            The scientist frowned.  “Ketch wants him alive?  Are you sure you want to sell him here, then?  You know the kind of research we do here, Davis.  We just had a subject die this morning!  I can’t guarantee that he’ll survive.  Maybe you should take him to A building instead?”

            Naturally, Farrar immediately panicked and started struggling.  Davis glared at the woman, wondering how someone smart enough to be a scientist could be so stupid?  “A building doesn’t pay what you do.  He’ll be fine!” he snapped.  “Put the money in my account.”

            She shrugged and stepped back.  “He looks healthy enough, although I do wish you’d stop beating on them!  It can impair our results if they’re damaged. Bring him in, get him in the chair.”

            And now Farrar was fighting for all he was worth, screaming and straining against his ties.  Every time, same thing.  Let me go, please don’t do this, don’t hurt me, I can pay you, blah blah blah as Davis and a lab assistant cut Farrar loose and strapped him into the chair.  It was a relief when they finally got the mask over his face, got some gas into him, and he went quiet.  Davis watched as Farrar’s eyes grew cloudy and then fluttered closed as he went under.  So much for that.  Davis doubted he’d ever see the man again.  Well, good riddance.  He turned again to the scientist.  “I expect top rate.  I know how rare resurrection subjects are, and, especially considering what else is in this building?  The fact it’s via angel Grace means he’s worth even more!  I should get a bonus for this!”

            She nodded absently, already returning to her work.  “You’ll get our top rate.  No bonus.  Now go away, I’m trying to concentrate!”

            Arrogant bitch.  Still, that was all Davis expected to hear.  At least he’d salvaged something from this disaster.

****

            Bobby had already examined every square inch of his cell twice with no success. “Balls!” he spat.

            “You know, the only thing I can think of that’s worse than being locked in this cell?” Rufus’s voice called.  “Being locked in a cell next to your sorry ass!”

            Bobby gave the door a frustrated kick.  Then he leaned towards it to speak through the bars.  “Sammy!  You ok over there, boy?”

            “Hmm?  Yeah, sorry, Bobby.”  Sammy’s voice was dripping with depression.  He was sitting on the bed in the cell across from Bobby’s.  For some reason, their captors hadn’t taken the manacles off of his wrists.  Sammy had been staring at them.  His green eyes looked shellshocked, as though he couldn’t believe this was happening.

            Rufus, apparently, had noticed.  “Hey, buck up, kiddo,” he called.  “That was a hell of a good try, what you and the lawyer did.  For a moment there, it really looked like it was gonna work! But I don’t blame you.  I mean, you couldn’t let Ketch go after Lawyer Sam’s wife and kids!”  He paused. “I assume that’s what you meant, when you yelled back at him to remember his promise?  To take care of his family, right?”

            Sammy only hummed in response.

            “We ain’t beat yet, boy,” Bobby encouraged gently.  “Blake’s still out there, and never count my boy out!  Plus he’s got the band, and a little extra help.” He snorted.  “Never thought I’d ever pin my hopes on that particular source of help, but here we are.”

            “I just can’t believe he took Jesse and Sam Farrar!” Sammy exclaimed. “Jesse’s really dead?  I cannot wrap my mind around that one!  And then that bastard beat Sam!  What kind of sick animal would do something like that to a couple of innocent musicians?!”

            Rufus snorted.  “That’s the thing about Ketch, and why so many of us have been trying to find a way to get rid of him.  He was bad enough at first, but the more power he got, the worse he got!  Now, he’s a walking cliché about how power corrupts! Killing Bobby Singer?  We thought that was as bad as he was going to get, right up until he killed Dean Winchester.  That’s when we knew he had to be stopped!”

            “He’ll pay for that,” Sammy snarled.  “If I have to come back from the dead to do it, I swear I will make him pay for what he did to Dean and Jesse!”

            “Calm down, Winchester,” Rufus sighed.  “You throw any sort of fuss, and that son of a bitch will take it out on Farrar!”

            “I know!”  There was a thud as Sammy kicked something in his cell.  “That motherfucker has us good!  And that’s why he beat Sam, isn’t it?  To prove he’ll be hurt if we don’t cooperate!”  Another kick, and then Sammy was burying his face in his hands.

            Bobby frowned.  “It’s your brother Dean I’m worried about now.  If Ketch really goes through with giving Cassiel to Azazel?”

            Sammy gave a sharp cry.  “Then I’ll lose him!  I’ll lose them _both!”_

            Bobby grimaced and gripped the bars of the door.  He’d almost forgotten that both versions of Dean were trapped now with Cassiel.  He looked over, saw the anguished expression on Sammy’s face, and growled.  “Blake better hurry his ass up!  Rufus, when do you think Ketch will...?”

            “I don’t know!” Rufus exclaimed.  “Bobby, I’m a full-time FBI agent and a hunter on the side.  I don’t have shit to do with the Men of Letters! I didn’t even know about this place, remember?  That’s why Sam’s Club had to find it!  So I’m sorry, but I am not privy to Ketch’s schedule.  But I imagine it’ll be soon.  If he hasn’t already handed Cassiel over, he’ll do it first thing tomorrow morning.  So yeah, your boy Blake had better hurry his ass up!”

            Bobby grunted in response.  His eyes were on Sammy.  Something about his boy was off.  Sure, Sammy was in a bad way, but he’d been in similar situations before.  It wasn’t like Sammy to act like this.  When Bobby had brought up Ketch’s plans for Dean, any other time Sammy would have railed against it.  But now, he seemed to go even deeper into depression.  Of course, Sammy had another problem that no one wanted to mention.  If Blake couldn’t find a way to help them before it happened, once Sammy’s symptoms hit they’d have to choose to either tell Ketch the truth and ask for some blood, or let Sammy go through withdrawal.  Bobby had been hoping that Sammy could use his powers to escape. But right now, in chains, behind bars, and surrounded by armed men who had enough knowledge of the supernatural to be able to handle him, if Sammy tried to fight, he’d be put down fast. Well, there was still time. They’d wait, watch for their chance.

            Bobby sank wearily down onto his bed, watching Sammy.  In his cell, Sammy appeared lost in his thoughts, the thumb of his left hand unconsciously rubbing at the base of his ring finger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun made his mad face most of the way through this, but smiled at the end. Says Davis can suck his balls and the author needs to have Dean really whip his ass. Liked Dean giving him the double bird, but knew it was coming because it’s Dean. Thought it was great that they fucked Davis over on his pay! Is still wondering about Charles. The guy is a sycophant, but he’s not sure if maybe he didn’t do that on purpose to try to screw over Ketch?


	19. Limited Resources

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broken and disheartened, Blake must try to find a way to go forward. Crowley offers a suggestion.

            Blake moved listlessly around in his kitchen, considering the bottle of Smithworks in his fridge.  Outside, a media circus was just beginning.  Lawyer Sam had spoken with them, announcing that their group had escaped from the kidnappers, but they were still at large with the others.  It was the same story the lawyer had told the police.  Sam was the only one capable of talking to them. Blake felt numb and hollow.  He hadn’t said a word since they’d all returned to his ranch.  Neither had the band.  No doubt they all felt the same thing.

            From somewhere in the house, he could hear low voices.  Somewhere, someone had been sobbing earlier, but now it seemed everyone was at least calmer. The band had all wandered into different rooms and called their families once they’d arrived at the ranch.  Lawyer Sam had been talking to Jess in low tones, riding in the passenger seat while Blake drove Honey, the entire trip to Blake’s ranch while Blake intentionally paid attention to the radio so as not to eavesdrop.  She’d actually called him, which hadn’t surprised either of them a bit. But Blake hadn’t been able to call his own family.  What could he tell them?  That he’d completely and utterly failed at protecting the people who’d believed in him, looked to him for guidance, trusted him?  That he’d let a monster worse than any demon Blake had fought in the other universe take away the most precious thing in this or any other universe with barely any effort at all?  That he’d been completely defeated, left lying on the side of the road like a struck animal while the center of his world was dragged away in chains?  Every time Blake closed his eyes, he could see Adam struggling, the way the chains had dug into his flesh and twisted his body as he fought, or the tears that streamed from those sweet hazel eyes as Adam mourned for his friend.  They’d taken Adam away, dragged his Rockstar in chains into a truck and had just driven away, all while Blake lay useless on the road.  What could Blake ever do to atone for that?

            At some point, three of the remaining four members of Adam’s band had migrated into the living room, seated in a row of chairs.  They focused primarily on their phones, but their heads turned frequently, looking over at Blake.  Even now, they were still looking at Blake for support.  It made no sense.  And meanwhile, Lawyer Sam had been moving in and out of the house, bringing in boxes of research from the cars.  Research. As if there was anything in those dusty books and papers that could turn back the hands of time, bring everyone back and return Adam to Blake’s arms.  In some dry part of Blake’s mind, he supposed it was good that the lawyer was keeping busy.

            Sam, apparently, had brought the last of the boxes inside.  Now he had the first one on the table and was rooting through it.  The sudden stillness made Blake glance over.  Sam was standing as if frozen, staring at a coffee mug with the logo for Sam’s Club on it.  The band had gotten the three mugs for them as a joke.  But now it seemed to mock him.

            Apparently, the lawyer felt the same.  Sam’s lips curled into a snarl.  He turned and hurled the mug at the wall.  The crash it made as it shattered and fell to the floor made everyone jump.  Sam stood as he was, fists clenched and nostrils flaring, staring at the broken mug with wild eyes.  And then he sank to the ground, cradling his head in his hands.

            Mickey got up, tapping Matt’s shoulder to help him.  Without a word, the two musicians each got under one of the lawyer’s arms, got Sam over to the sofa, and sat him down.  Sam simply allowed it.  Once seated, he slumped, his green eyes staring at a spot on the floor.

            By now, PJ had returned.  He looked around at the others, and then turned to Blake.  “Blake?” he called.  “What do we do?”

            Blake scoffed.  “What the hell are you asking me for?  I did _such_ a good job so far, didn’t I?”

            Mickey, who had buried his face in his hands, raised slightly, peering at PJ through his fingers.  “What do we do?” he echoed.  “We find a way to get them all back, that’s what we do!”

            “Yeah, but how?” James wanted to know.  “That fucker has us, and he knows it!  He’s got exactly what he wants now!  And if we make any kind of move against him, he’ll take it out on Jesse and Sam!  We can’t even get the police involved!”

            Mickey breathed through his nose and leaned back, tilting his head up and closing his eyes.  “Yes, James, I am aware.”

            “Then you’re aware that we are completely and utterly fucked?” Matt exclaimed. “They got our angels, they got the Unicorn Gang, they got Agent Turner, and they even took hostages they’re not afraid to hurt if we try anything!  The rest of us here aren’t bad in a brawl, but the fact is that all of our best fighters are gone except for Blake, and whatever Lawyer Sam can do legally!”

            “I get it, alright?!” Blake yelled.  “But what the hell do you think I can do about it?  We can’t fight these assholes!  Our first and second stringers are all gone!  Now all we’ve got left are the bench warmers!”

            “Oh, darling, my feelings!”

            Blake turned with a start.  There was Crowley, seated at the table with a drink in front of him, looking at Blake with his familiar smirk.  “You son of a bitch!” Blake roared.  “Where the fuck were you, Crowley?!  That fucking Ketch took our people, and you were nowhere to be found!”

            Crowley seemed fascinated by his nails.  “And what would you have had me do, Sexy?  Had I shown my true face back there, I would have been banished or destroyed. Arthur Ketch came prepared to take down an archangel!  What chance did a mere demon have?”

            “You should have been there, Crowley!” Matt yelled, storming over and slamming his hands on the table.  “Where the hell did you run off to?!  They fucking ambushed us!”

            “I’m aware!” Crowley sighed, rolling his eyes.  “If you’ll recall, I am the one who warned everyone about that prat hiding off the side of the road in the first place!”

            “And you vanished immediately afterwards!”

            “Well of course I did!  With the bloody angels trapped, I knew Ketch would round up the rest of you immediately after!  As far as we know, Ketch still doesn’t know about me.  That means I remain your ace up your sleeve!”  He narrowed his eyes.  “But I did see everything that happened.  I followed you, made sure you got back here.  And then I went to work.”

            PJ cocked an eyebrow.  “Went to work on what?”

            “Allies, darling, allies!”  He raised a hand, pointing to a book on the table that hadn’t been there before. “That belonged to the witches you lot got killed.  I’ve found the wayAmericans respond to my accent varies highly, but in this case, it came in handy.  Ketch apparently terrified them!  By impersonating a member of the British Men of Letters, I had little difficulty convincing their coven to give it to me.”

            “So?”

            “So, it contains, among other things, an angel summoning spell!  Now, before you ask, no, we cannot simply summon either version of Cassie here, not with one human and the other trapped. But with both versions currently under Ketch’s control, it seems to me that the hosts of Heaven should be obligated to provide us with a bit of assistance.  After all, didn’t Cassiel tell us that they’d planned to take Castiel, try to instill him in Cassiel’s place once his transformation is complete?” He shrugged.  “Ketch got help from the King of Hell.  We’re getting help from the Princes of Heaven!”

            Blake stared at the demon with everyone else, feeling the first twinges of hope in his chest.  “So, there’s a spell in that book that lets us control an angel?”

            Crowley rolled his eyes.  “Of course not!  There’s not even spells that let you control a demon, although we’re largely obligated to come when summoned.  Angels aren’t even that!  They’ll typically come, eventually, but it’s usually on their own terms.”

            “Eventually?!”  Mickey was staring at Crowley in disbelief.  “We need help _now!_  They’re giving Dean and Cassiel to these demons!  They’re hurting Sam Farrar and Jesse to force everyone else to cooperate!  Castiel’s still trapped somewhere, Adam’s power is going to keep building up, even Hunter Sam’s in trouble if he doesn’t get help soon! What happens when he doesn’t get his demon blood?”

            Crowley cocked an eyebrow.  “Come again?”

            “You know, that’s the one that gets me the most so far as you’re concerned, Crowley,” Matt growled.  “You got him addicted to that shit again, and now he’s going to suffer even more because of it!”

            Crowley scoffed.  “He’ll do no such thing!  I’m perfectly capable of supplying Moose with his joy juice!”

            That produced a series of groans.  “What are you going to do, Crowley?” Mickey spat.  “You going to fucking _mail_ it to him wherever the hell Ketch locked him up?”

            Crowley blinked.  “Locked him up?”  His eyes went to Lawyer Sam, who was still seated silently on the couch.  Then he groaned.  “Oh, Moose, Moose!  What could be going through your great shaggy head?  You still haven’t told them?!  Then do please allow me the honors!  You see, gentlemen, this moose isn’t Montgomery, it’s Bullwinkle!  This _is_ Hunter Sam!”

            Blake stared in disbelief.  Hunter Sam slowly raised his eyes to meet Blake’s.  “W-we made a decision,” he explained quietly.  “If we were going to get captured, we’d try first to both say we were him, see if we couldn’t both get away.  B-but if that didn’t work, Sam would try to get Ketch to take him, and leave me free to try to get him out.”

            Shocked silence.

            “Sam?” James managed at last.  “I got no idea how I feel about that.  Lawyer Sam must be the bravest son of a bitch alive, and I don’t know what it says about you that you could let him take that risk.  But right now, I’m just glad you two pulled this off!”

            “He made me promise to do it,” Hunter Sam mumbled.  “That’s why he was yelling at me to remember my promise.  Because I promised I’d let him do this, I’d take his place, and I’d do whatever I had to do to protect Jess and the kids and get him out!”

            “So Jess knows?”

            Sammy nodded.  “And she’s seriously pissed off.  She’s pushing this case her firm has going against the Men of Letters.  If anyone can bring them down, that’s how it will happen. And she’s on her way here as we speak, coming out to join us and help us get our people out.  But meanwhile, Sam...?”  He shook his head.  “I shouldn’t have let him do it!”

            “Holy shit!” Blake breathed.  “That means we got _two_ fighters that Ketch doesn’t know about, and, at least for now, we can hide one of ‘em in plain sight! But we’re gonna have to move fast.” Blake hurried over to Hunter Sam and gave him a shake.  “Can we do this?  Can we summon an angel, the way he said?”

            Once again, Sammy nodded.  “Yeah. Bobby and Dean used that same spell to summon Cass the first time they met him.  But you have to be able to summon an angel by name!  Finding their names won’t be hard, but getting them to help us is a whole other story.  Blake, we just let Ketch take one of their Princes to give to the King of Hell! That’s not exactly going to make them leap at the chance to help us!”

            “But we’re trying to help Cassiel!” Mickey protested.

            “And that’s actually going to count against us,” PJ sighed.  “Hunter Sam’s right.  I’ve been talking to Cassiel, and he said he’s basically an outcast.  He said the first night he took over Dean, he went out and talked to his generals, told them what he’d done and that he’d planned to stay.  And since then, those generals have been running interference for him.  But Cassiel said Michael especially is going to be pissed!  And the last he heard from his generals, the plan upstairs was to just sit back and let things take their course.”

            “But they’re not going to have Castiel either!” Matt pointed out.

            “And apparently, they’re already making plans for that,” PJ confessed.  “If they can get either one of our angels, they will, which is why Cassiel was lying low.  But if they’re both gone, well, they’ll just divide up Cassiel’s section of Heaven and move on.  They’re not making any plans at all to rescue either one of them!”

           Blake collapsed into the closest chair, feeling defeated once again. “Then we’re still fucked!  Crowley and Sammy can’t take on all of Azazel’s demons to save Cassiel, we don’t have the power to get through into that compound to save our people, and the angels won’t lift a finger!  Fuck! I don’t know what the hell to do!”

            Silence fell.  And then Blake’s phone rang.  Irritated, Blake snatched it out of his pocket.  “What?!” he snapped without looking.

            “Blake!  Blake, help me!”

            It was a voice Blake thought he’d never hear again.  He leapt to his feet, wide-eyed.  _“Jesse?!”_

            “Yes!  Blake, I got away, but they’ve still got Sam!”

            “Ok, calm down!”  Blake had run to find a pen and paper, ignoring everyone else.  “Tell me where you are.”

            Jesse gave him an address.  “I’m at a payphone, but I don’t know who I can trust except you!  Please, come and get me!”

            “You got it!  _Crowley!”_   Blake shoved the address at the demon.  “Go get him!”

            Crowley immediately vanished.  And a moment later, he returned with Jesse.  Jesse looked awful.  Along with the blood that still covered his shirt, he was also covered head to toe with a dark, foul-smelling substance that smelled suspiciously like cow manure. The only thing clean was his face, where the tracks of tears had washed the grime away.  Blake didn’t care.  He grabbed the musician and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.  “You’re ok!  Oh thank God!”

            “But Sam!”  Jesse was shaking like a leaf.  “I couldn’t get him loose, Blake!  I tried, but I just couldn’t get him loose, and he insisted I leave him behind and I jumped out of the truck but they started chasing me so I climbed into this drain pipe and I was sure they were gonna find me and they were gonna shoot me again and I crawled and crawled and I thought I’d get stuck in there and die but it finally came out and I ran again until I found a town and...  And...”  Jesse hiccupped.  “Blake, please!  They’re gonna hurt Sammy!  You gotta help him!”

            Blake saw red.  He tightened his arms around the smaller man and growled.  “I will.  By God, I will!  Crowley, I need you and Hunter Sam to get this fucking spell going!  Those angels are going to help us if I have to pluck their wings to make them do it!”

            The entire group was energized now.  But Hunter Sam and Crowley exchanged a frown.  “Blake, we can give you the spell and show you how to cast it, but we can’t cast it for you.  These are angels, and they’re not exactly on speaking terms with demons!  What’s to keep whichever one we summon from just smiting me and Crowley on the spot?”

            “Yeeees, I’m afraid the Moose and I will certainly have to, as Dean would say, take a knee on this one,” Crowley agreed.

            “Wait,” James called.  “You’re saying _we_ have to cast this spell? The benchwarmers have to go to the play-offs?!”

            “We’re so screwed!” Mickey moaned.  “How the hell do we even know which angel to call?”

            PJ straightened.  “There is one angel we know by name that has helped in the past.”

            Silence fell once more.

            Matt’s eyes appeared to be in danger of popping from their sockets.  “PJ, did I hear you right?  You want us to summon not just an angel, but one of the most powerful and famous archangels of all time?!”

            “That’s right!”  PJ adjusted his cap and looked challengingly at his friends.  “We’re doing a Hail Mary as it is.  Let’s make it a good one!  We’re calling Gabriel!”

            “As if the archangel himself will respond!” Crowley scoffed.  “You’re mad to believe that!  At most, he’ll send a minion to see what it is we want.”

            “Then we deal with the minion!  But after you, Crowley, the archangels are the biggest reason we’re in this mess in the first place.  It’s about time they stepped up to the plate!”  Blake hugged Jesse again, ignoring the filth he got all over himself. Then he released the smaller man and clapped his hands.  “Ok, Jesse, go get yourself cleaned up.  Meanwhile, Sammy, tell us what we need to do for this spell!”

            Hunter Sam nodded.  “Crowley, give me that book, would you?  Alright, I’ll get everyone the list of what we’ll need, and then it’s a matter of gathering it.  At least now we can use all of our resources!”

            A moment later, everyone had a task to do.  Blake couldn’t help but smile as he looked over the busy group.  _Hang on, Rockstar,_ he thought.  _We’re coming for you!_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun says it’s about damned time Crowley showed up. Thinks it’s hilarious they’re going to try to call Gabriel. Hopes that doesn’t get them all smited!
> 
> Song I used for this chapter is "No Light No Light" by Florence and the Machine  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29XGlYUlqfA&frags=pl%2Cwn


	20. Under Lock and Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The experiments begin, and time is running out

             _“I’m sorry, Dean.  When they come for me, I’ll ask them to let me leave my vessel, but I don’t believe they’ll grant the request.  They know they can contain me in a vessel, but in my true form, I doubt they’d have the power.”_

_“It’s ok, buddy.  This isn’t your fault.  What about Ghost Me?  Can he get out of this?”_

_“No.  I thought to protect him by keeping him inside of me, but now that’s trapped him as well!  I’ve failed you both!”_

_“You didn’t fail shit, buddy, ok?  Especially not me!  Personally, I think Ketch would have found a way to kill me anyway.”_

            The archangel seemed to sigh.  _“Perhaps you’re right.  When the time comes and the torture begins, I’ll shield you.  You won’t feel any of it.”_

_“Don’t be stupid, Cassiel!  Blake will come for us, ok?  Meanwhile, if we tag team it, we can both handle it better, buy more time!”_

_“No, Dean.  Your faith in your friends is wonderful, but I cannot allow you to suffer any further because of me.”_

_“You don’t get to decide that for me,”_ Dean thought angrily at the archangel.  _“We had a deal, remember?  You don’t force me down!  We tag team it.  And we hang on, because they’re coming for us!”_

_“Dean, I’m an archangel, and these are demons. I’ve defeated and destroyed their kind countless times, and they’ve waited for millennia to exact their revenge! When they have me, it will be terrible!”_

_“Hey, I’ve been in Hell before,”_ Dean assured, fighting back his fear.  _“Took those bastards decades to break me.  I can hold out for a few days!  We’ll get through it, ok?  Together.”_

            A feeling of warmth spread through him from the archangel.  _“You truly are a Righteous Man.”_

            “Talking to Cassiel again?” Adam called.

            Dean nodded.  “He’s trying to be a freakin’ martyr and I’m not letting him do it.”

            Adam twisted his body in the chains.  The two of them had managed to sit down on the floor, but it was anything but comfortable.  The chains on their wrists were attached to the walls.  They had slack while they were standing, but sitting down meant their arms were pulled up and to the sides.  They also had chains on their ankles and more chains locked around their waists, all tugging and pulling and pinching with any movement.  The chains rattled as Adam shifted.  “Dean, if they give you to the demons, they’ll torture you, won’t they?”

            Dean scoffed.  “They already had a crack at me in my universe.  They want to take another swing at the piñata, be my guest.  I don’t break easy!”  He frowned, looking at Adam.  “Honestly, Adam, I’m more worried about you.  It’s building up again, isn’t it?  That’s why you can’t hold still?”

            “I’ve got ADHD, Dean, so me not being able to hold still is kind of a given at the best of times,” Adam replied, still squirming.  “But yeah.  It always builds up, especially lately.”  He shook his arms, making the chains rattle.  “I can’t let any of it out in these chains, but it’s still building inside of me!  It’s already uncomfortable.  By tonight, it’s going to get bad, and if they keep me chained up through morning?” He strained against the chains. “I should do what Ketch wants, give it back to Castiel.  Maybe then he’ll let me go?”

            Dean looked sharply at him.  “Adam? Ok, you’re kind of going back into selfish assbutt mode again, but I guess that’s to be expected with you being away from Blake.  But here’s the thing to think about.  Even if you give Cass back his Grace, you need to understand that Ketch is never going to let you go.  You’ll still be a monster in his book!  The only thing it will do is give Ketch what he wants, meaning he has no reason to keep you alive!  That what you want, buddy?  For Ketch stand you against the wall and shoot you dead, just like he killed Jesse?”

            That got through to Adam.  The hazel eyes flashed with pain and squeezed closed.  Dean immediately felt bad.  “Adam, I’m sorry, man.  And I’m so sorry about Jesse!  That was bullshit that they killed him again!  But I’m glad to see you’re still in there enough to mourn him.”

            Adam nodded.  “I’m here for now,” he said quietly.  “I just cannot believe Jesse’s really gone, and Sam Farrar?  Did you see his face?”

            “Bastards beat him,” Dean said quietly.

            “And they’ll keep beating him unless we follow orders!” Adam exclaimed.  “But honestly, Ketch won’t have to threaten my friend to get what he wants!  Without Blake, when this really starts to build up inside me?  I’ll be worse than a selfish assbutt!  It’s gonna burn me up inside, and before long nothing else will matter except getting it out of me!  When that happens, I might not be able to help myself if he brings me to Castiel!”

            “Then you hold out for as long as you possibly can,” Dean urged.  “If for no other reason, do it to piss off Ketch!”

            Adam’s lips curled into a small smile.  “Now you’re talking my language!”  He looked at Dean.  “What do you think he’s doing with everyone?  Bobby and Rufus and Hunter Sam and Farrar?”

            Dean shrugged as much as his chains would allow.  “Don’t know.  But he took them alive.”  He looked around.  “This place kind of gives me a ‘research’ sort of vibe, which is in line with the Men of Letters from my universe.  Add to it what Rufus said?  I think they’ll be studied, maybe experimented on.  And I have no doubt that Ketch will use them to try to control Cass once he goes archangel.”

            Adam gave him a look.  “How close is he to that happening?”

            Dean slumped.  “Close,” he admitted.  “Cassiel, he’s real weak right now.  The fact we’re soulmates is about the only thing keeping him up!  I’ve been using that link to try to support him.  I think if I help him, we can last for a while longer while they work us over in Hell.  But Adam, it’s not gonna be long before he’s completely gone.  Then you’ll have it all!”  He shook his head.  “Ketch will bring you to Cass before it happens, Adam.  He’s not going to risk letting the power of an archangel tear you apart.  He wants his pet too much to let that happen!”  Dean’s voice was bitter.

            “What about you?” Adam asked.  “When his time comes, Cassiel can’t leave you because you’re locked up in these stupid chains!”  Adam shook his chains to emphasize his point.  “He’s locked inside of you, just like this Grace is locked inside of me! So Dean, what happens to you when Cassiel fades away?”

            Dean looked up, meeting Adam’s eyes.  “I’m a vessel, Adam.  If Cassiel dies while he’s still inside of me, then chances are, I’m going with him.”

            Adam tilted his head slightly to the side in a gesture that was all too familiar. Then he nodded and stood up, relieving the pressure on his arms.  He shifted his chains.  “We’ll have to count on Blake and the rest of our friends,” he announced.  “At least we’re slightly better off than we appear.”

            And now Dean smiled.  “You saw that too, huh?”  Dean still couldn’t believe Sam Squared had managed to trick Ketch.

            “Of course I saw it, I’m not blind!”  Adam frowned, tugging on the chain around his waist.  “We have hope.  But they’re going to have to hurry.  I overheard Ketch saying he’s giving you over in the morning.”

            “Yeah, buddy,” Dean sighed.  “I know. And I’m fairly certain Blake and our friends are aware, too.  But Adam? Don’t let go of your humanity!  I know it hurts.  It must feel good to let yourself sink into what’s happening to you, to let it wash away the pain.  But you can’t do that!  You need to feel that pain, hold tight to your humanity for as long as you can, because it’s the only thing that will save you!”

            Adam stared at him for a moment.  Then his eyes were once again full of pain.  “They killed Jesse,” he whispered.  “They beat Sam Farrar and took him prisoner, they locked up the Unicorn Gang, they’re giving you and Cassiel to demons, they’re making Castiel into an archangel slave and they’re probably going to kill me.  And you think my humanity is going to save me?!”

            “Yeah, I do,” Dean retorted, getting to his feet.  “Because your humanity is what binds you to Blake!  And Blake Shelton will never, ever give up on you!”

            Adam looked at him again.  His hazel eyes moved down, looking over the twisted chains confining him.  Then, to Dean’s surprise, he started to sing.  _“There is nothing left to say to you that you want to hear, that you want to know. I think I should go.  The things I've done are way too shameful.  And I have done you so wrong, treated you bad, strung you along.  Oh, shame on myself, I don't know how I got so tangled!”_

            Dean chuckled.  Adam still had some fight in him.  That was good.  He’d need it to get through what was ahead.

****

            Sam’s heart was pounding.  He’d suspected, when his chains hadn’t been removed, that he was going to find himself in a situation similar to the one he was in. He’d tried to brace himself, find the strength to face what would come.  But now, strapped into a chair in a laboratory surrounded by people in lab coats, it was hard not to panic.  _Sammy’s been through this and worse,_ he sternly told himself.  _In his universe, these assholes took a blowtorch to his foot!  But he was strong enough to get through it.  It’s not just the demon blood that did that, it’s his heart, his strength of will. You can find that same strength, Winchester!  You can get through this!_

            But Sammy was a hero.  He’d been raised his entire life as a warrior and a hunter, toughened by a difficult life on the road fighting monsters.  Meanwhile, Sam’s life had been far from ideal, but he’d never even imagined he’d ever be in a situation like this.  He was a lawyer, not a hunter.  How ironic that he was exactly what Sammy wished he could be.

            “Let’s start with the basics,” someone was saying.  “Sampling and measuring, overall assessment.  Then we’ll move on to start the interrogation.  We’re not gonna do much tonight, but tomorrow Ketch is going to want some real answers from this guy.”

            Sam swallowed hard.  Real answers. The only real answers Ketch was getting from him were going to involve where Ketch could go and what he could do with himself once he arrived.

            “Bet you’re wishing you’d stayed in your own universe, aren’t you?”

            Sam looked over, saw one of the scientists looking down at him.  He frowned.  “You realize none of us came here of our own free will?  Castiel ended up here by mistake, and everyone else got double-crossed by an asshole of a demon!”

            One of the other scientists chuckled.  “Did he just say the devil made him do it?”

            “I think he did!”

            “Oh, go to hell!”  Sam turned away, trying to ignore what was happening around him.  Blood draws, fingers poking at him for measurements. He felt violated, but this was only the start.

            He wondered what was happening to his friends.

            By now, Jess would have known something had happened to him.  He closed his eyes, reaching out to her, and immediately sensed her pain and worry.  Sammy would care for her.  He’d promised.  He’d take care of his family until Blake came to help him.  All Sam had to do was hold on.

            “This the serum we’re using?”

            “Yup.”

            Sam looked over and his eyes widened as they fell on a scientist pouring an ominous-looking solution from one flask into another.  She added something else to it and then drew it into a syringe.  _Oh shit._

            Sam eyed her as she approached.  Then he closed his eyes and filled his mind with thoughts of his family. He could get through this.  He had to get through this.  They were all counting on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun just glared at the author and told her to stop picking on Sam. Liked Sam thinking about where Ketch could go and what he could do when he got there. Agreed with Dean that Adam needed to hold on to his humanity.
> 
> Song Adam sings here is "Tangled" by Maroon 5  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOwUmt2GzBI&frags=pl%2Cwn


	21. To Summon An Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calling on the archangel Gabriel brings a new angelic visitor to Blake's ranch. But can Blake and the band convince the hosts of Heaven to help the very angels who turned their backs on Heaven? Meanwhile, time is running out as the first quarter moon arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting will get a bit sporadic, if at all, over the weekend because of real life. Bear with me.

            James, it seemed, was making up for his earlier failings at poker.  He had a decent pile of chips in front of him. Meanwhile, Blake’s pile was depressingly low.  Blake’s heart wasn’t really in the game.  None of them were, naturally.  Playing poker was something they were doing to pass the time.

            It had been four hours now since Blake had cast the spell to summon an angel and called on the archangel Gabriel.  Initially, he’d been certain that he’d done it correctly, pronounced the weird-ass words the way Hunter Sam had instructed him and had correctly utilized all the ingredients.  But as time went by with no sign of any divine interruptions, Blake was starting to doubt himself.

            “I got a pair of queens, bitches!” Jesse announced, breaking Blake’s train of thought to slap his cards on the table.

            “Too bad I got three fives!” James taunted.  “Pay up, gentlemen!”

            Blake groaned with the others as more of his chips vanished into James’s pile. At this rate, he’d be cleaned out for sure.

            “I do hope I haven’t been called here to referee a card game!”

            It was a woman’s voice, and it instantly made everyone at the table freeze for a moment.  Then they were all on their feet, turning to face their visitor.

            A tiny woman, standing no more than five feet tall, was in the entryway of the dining room, staring at them.  She had blonde hair pulled back into a bun and brown eyes.  She appeared to be wearing the uniform of a fast food employee, as well as a deep scowl of disgust.  Her eyes rolled.  “I’m a busy angel, gentlemen, so can we please get on with why you thought it appropriate to try to summon a Prince of Heaven?”

            Blake found his voice.  “Ok, first of all, we’re sorry about that,” he began.  “I’m sure we broke some protocol or another, but we really need help.”

            “Of course you need help,” she spat.  “Every human needs help!  It’s like you’re incapable of doing anything for yourselves, or desperately want to believe that you are.”  She tsked. “Alright, what’s the huge emergency this time, and what’s your reason that you feel Heaven should interfere?”

            “Because it’s at least halfway Heaven’s fault!” Blake snapped.

            The angel blinked.  “Excuse me?”

            With some assistance from the band filling in what he’d missed, Blake managed to tell the angel the entire story.  She didn’t say much.  She listened, her dark eyes fixed on whoever happened to be speaking.  The disgusted scowl gradually faded, morphing to an expression of interested curiosity.  Now that they’d explained things, she seemed to be mulling it all over.  She chewed on her lower lip.

            “Oh, that reminds me,” Blake called cautiously.  “Um, well, first, is there something we should call you besides ‘angel?’ You got a name, or...?”

            “Angel is fine,” she snapped.  “Last thing I need is you calling me every time you get a hangnail!”

            “Right.  Well, Angel, Hunter Sam left these, said we should give them to you to give to Gabriel. I have no idea why.”  Blake picked up the bag of lollipops and handed them to the angel.

            Angel stared at the bag.  She looked up at Blake for a moment, and then back at the bag.  Then she gingerly accepted the treats.  “Um, thank you?”

            Blake shrugged.  “You’re welcome.”

            Angel looked again at the bag, raising one eyebrow.  She opened it, pulled out a lollipop, and made as if she would put it into her mouth.

            “You gotta take the paper off, Angel,” Blake called quickly.  “Just pull...  Yeah, like that.  Ok, try it now.”

            The candy went gingerly into Angel’s mouth.  Now her second eyebrow moved up to join the first.  “What is the purpose of this?” she asked around the candy.

            “Who knows,” James sighed.  “Hunter Sam isn’t into pranks the way Dean is, but I kind of got an ‘inside joke’ vibe all the same.  I guess he knows Gabriel in his universe, so maybe he likes those there?”

            She sucked loudly on the treat.  “Pranks, huh?”

            “You have no idea!”

            “Dean put plastic wrap over the toilet!”

            “He dipped my toothbrush in hot sauce.”

            “He put Vaseline on my comb!”

            “Just be glad he didn’t put hair removal cream into your shampoo bottle like Hunter Sam said he did to him!”

            “I’d kill him slowly!”

            “He got onto my cell phone and texted all my contacts the lewdest...!”

            “Gentlemen!” Blake called.  “Angel is probably very busy!”

            “I am.”  She loudly slurped at the lollipop.  “What, exactly, is it that you think the hosts of Heaven can do for you?”

            “We need help,” Blake declared.  “We think we know where our people, and yours, probably are.  But there’s not much chance of us getting in there with what we’ve got.  If the hosts of Heaven won’t help us, then Gabriel’s going to be condemning his brother and two innocent souls, one of which was stolen from Heaven, to Hell to be tortured by Azazel!  Now he can’t be ok with that!”

            “You said it yourself,” Angel pointed out, indicating Blake with her lollipop.  “Prince Cassiel stole a soul from Heaven.  That’s not something that’s easily forgiven!”

            “Worry about forgiveness later!” Blake snapped, losing patience. “Cassiel, Hunter Dean, and Ghost Dean are all about to be tortured by demons unless Gabriel and his buddies get up off of their feathered asses and help them!”

            Her head cocked to one side in a familiar manner.  “And the fact that your husband is also there, and would no doubt benefit greatly from our assistance, has nothing to do with anything?”

            “I’m going in there after Adam,” Blake told her.  “I don’t give a shit if I have help or not because I’ll save Adam or I’ll die trying!”

            “Please, Angel!” PJ pleaded.  “I have believed in angels all of my life.  You are warriors of Heaven, fighting against the forces of evil.  Well, the forces of evil are going after one of your own, now!  Gabriel stood up for Cassiel before.  The stakes are much much higher now!  If Gabriel doesn’t help his brother, then there’s no hope for him!”

            PJ suddenly dropped to his knees, alarming Blake until he realized the keyboardist had done it intentionally.  PJ was kneeling before a surprised Angel, raising his hands imploringly. “Cassiel made some mistakes.  He knows he shouldn’t have taken that soul, but he’s got human emotions, and Ghost Dean is his soulmate!  That’s why he couldn’t leave him behind.  What he did, he did out of love!  And Hunter Dean, he’s Cassiel’s soulmate, too.  Both of them are trapped with Cassiel now!  Then Adam’s got Castiel’s Grace inside of him, and I know you think that’s an abomination, but it was done out of love, too! Castiel was trying to keep Cassiel from fading away when he did that.  And because he did, because he gave up his power, he made himself helpless and Ketch took him away.  Now his power’s festered in Adam and Adam’s gone too, just so Ketch can have himself an archangel for a pet!  A _pet!_   The rest of our friends ended up in this mess because they all love Castiel.  Adam and Dean and Cassiel let themselves be captured because they love Jesse and Sam Farrar.  Lawyer Sam let himself be taken instead of Hunter Sam because he loves Hunter Sam, his wife and kids, and the rest of us, and knew we’d have a better chance if Hunter Sam was free.  Blake was able to be drawn back into this universe because of the love he shares with Adam.  We six in the band all got involved because we love Adam and Blake, and because Castiel protected us and we love him, too.  Sam Farrar is in custody right now because he loved his friend and tried to help him.  Even Crowley sent everyone over here and ended up getting double-crossed himself because he was in love with Dean and couldn’t have him!  Don’t you see, every single thing that has happened, it’s happened because of love!  As angels, you follow a God I was always taught was a god of love.  And now you see all that’s happened has been about love! You’re supposed to love all of God’s creation.  Show us that love now!  Show us that all of our prayers, all of our faith, are not in vain!”

            PJ would have made a wonderful preacher.  Blake quickly sank to his knees to join his friend, noticing that the others were doing the same.  Now they were all kneeling in front of Angel, who was blinking at them in astonishment.

            The angel’s head tilted to the other side, her dark eyes moving over the kneeling group.  She sucked a bit on her lollipop, eyeing them.  “Love, huh?”

            The group nodded.

            She made slurping sounds on her lollipop, pulled it out of her mouth, and smacked her lips.  “Alright,” she said.

            Blake brightened.  “You’ll help us?  Gabriel’s gonna help?”

            “Gabriel’s men can’t be involved in this,” Angel corrected.  “Not even Cassiel’s men will be permitted to assist you. Michael has insisted that the hosts of Heaven stay out of this, let things take their course.”

            “You let things take their course, and the only thing that will happen is that good people who don’t deserve it are going to go through hell, some of them literally!” Matt exclaimed.

            “I’m aware!” Angel snapped, irritable again.  “I told you what the orders are.  And then I’ll go and tell Cassiel’s men what’s happening to him. His generals have already interfered too much and they’re being watched.  But perhaps they can arrange something, send a few low-ranking angels to help you.  No promises. Any angel that offers assistance is going to have to answer to the Princes, and the Princes have already agreed to let things run their course.  So I can’t even venture a guess as to how many will be willing to help. But some might.”  She studied the lollipop.  “I’ll help you, too.  So you can count on at least one angel at your side.”

            “Thank you,” Blake said humbly.  “Whatever you can do, it’s appreciated.”

            She gave a grunt that could have meant anything from “You’re welcome” to “Go get stuffed.”  Then there was a flutter of wings, and she was gone.

            “Hey, PJ?” Jesse called.  “Thanks, man.”

            “Yeah, for real!”  James was looking at PJ in open admiration.  “I’m glad you’re a musician and I’m thrilled you’re part of this band, but you were a real testament to your faith tonight!  We may not follow the same religion, but right now I’m mighty proud that we follow the same God.”

            “Thank you.”  PJ hugged him.

            “Do you think this is going to be enough?” Mickey was asking.  “I’m glad Angel’s coming along for the ride, but can we really pull this off with just one angel?”

            “We’re gonna have to,” Blake declared.  “Alright, gentlemen.  Try to get some rest if you can.  We’re heading out bright and early, and we’re not stopping until we get our people back!”

****

            “Blake!  Blake, wake up!”

            Hunter Sam, shaking Blake’s shoulder.  Blake cracked one eyelid open, saw the faint light of dawn.  “Sammy, when I said we were heading out bright and early, I didn’t mean before dawn!”

            “Blake, something’s coming.  You gotta wake up!”

            Sleep fell away like a wave.  Blake shot upright in bed, the pistol he kept under his pillow in his hand.  It still felt strange, as it wasn’t his regular pistol. Ketch had taken that, along with Castiel’s angel blade.  “What is it?”

            “Bad news, I’m afraid.”  Crowley. He’d arrived at Blake’s ranch with Sammy and, surprisingly, Jess shortly after Angel had gone.  Now the demon was moving to the window, his eyes blood red as he looked out with more than natural vision.  “Thanks to our resident psychic, we’ve had fair warning.  Even I can’t sense them yet.  But it seems to be demons.  Quite a few of them, heading straight for us.”

            Blake swore.  He pulled on his jeans and was tugging his shirt on as he followed Sammy downstairs, shouting to rouse the band.  He discovered Jess in the living room, busy loading up weapons.  “Shotgun pellets loaded with rock salt,” she explained, not pausing in her work.  “Can anyone in the band shoot?”

            “They can all shoot,” Blake reported.  “I take ‘em skeet shooting.  James is the best, then Matt.”

            She nodded.  “They get the shotguns, then, and the rest get these squirt guns with the holy water. Guys?” she called, seeing the band coming in.  “I need some of you to take that salt there and line the windows and doors.  Sammy, what else can we do?”

            “Not much before they get here,” Sammy replied, giving her a quick kiss. “Normally, I’d say devil’s traps, but in my, um, condition, I don’t know if I can...”

            “I can draw ‘em.”  Matt produced a piece of chalk and started for the rear entrance.

            After the flurry of preparations, the wait was nerve wracking.  Hunter Sam handed Blake a familiar weapon – Ruby’s Fucking Knife.  Apparently, the hunter had somehow had the presence of mind to stash the weapon somewhere in Honey before going out to face Ketch.  It wasn’t as powerful as an angel blade, but could certainly take out demons easy enough.  Sammy had his powers.  Crowley, oddly enough, had an angel blade.  Jess, James, and Matt had shotguns with plenty of rock salt cartridges. Mickey, Jesse, and PJ had battery powered water cannons loaded with holy water.  They were ready.

            The first sign of action came in the form of a large truck that crashed through Blake’s front gate and kept going, slamming into the columns on the front porch with enough force to shake the whole house and knock small items off the shelves.  Then a moment later, the big picture window in the living room shattered, a flaming bottle coming through to smash against the wall and instantly ignite.  It was followed by two more coming through two more windows.

            “Stay calm!” Crowley called, extinguishing the flames with a wave of his hand.  “They’re trying to draw us out.  Going outside would be an exceptionally bad idea.  There’s hellhounds out there, lads and lady.”

            “I thought they couldn’t get past the salt lines?” Mickey called nervously.

            “Normally, no,” Crowley agreed.  “However, I’d never let a silly thing like a bit of salt deter me for long!”

            There was an odd sound outside.  Then strong wind was gusting through the broken windows, scattering broken glass and salt, propelled by powerful fans.

            “Sometimes I hate it when I’m right!” Crowley called over the noise.

            “Shut up and kick some ass!” Blake yelled back.  “We got incoming!”

            The shotguns boomed, and holy water sprayed, causing demons to shriek in pain and fall back.  But more were coming.  Blake crouched, letting his opponents come to him before lashing out with his weapon. He kept to the right of Hunter Sam, letting Crowley cover the hunter’s left.  The shotguns and water guns were busy thinning the ranks of demons pouring through the windows.  But the bulk of their defense was Hunter Sam.

            Despite the cost, Blake could not deny the hunter’s power.  Sammy was tearing through the demons, ripping what looked like black smoke out of human bodies and sending it smoldering into the floor with nothing more than an outstretched hand.  Something snarling and invisible charged through the window. Crowley slashed at it, revealing its location with a bleeding wound.  Sammy sent it flying with a wave and then clenched his fist.  It yelped, and then was still.  Blake spotted a demon trying to sneak around their flank and turned, but Jesse nailed it with a stream of holy water right in the face.  It shrieked, stumbled sideways, and Blake was on it with the knife.

            Suddenly he heard a gasp.  “Sam!” Crowley snapped.  “That one, the blonde!  She’s the leader!  Get control of her, and this ends!”

            Sammy immediately turned his attention on the blonde female demon and gestured, pinning her to one wall.  “Call off the attack!” he ordered.  “Do it now!”

            The demoness laughed.  “Do your worst!  I will never falter to a mere human!”

            “Oh, I think you’ll rather make an exception for this one, luv,” Crowley warned. “There hasn’t been a demon yet that’s faced Moose at full power and didn’t break!”

            She sneered, and the attack continued.  Sammy cocked his fist.  The demon screamed like Blake had never heard anyone scream before.  The sound was so full of agony that it made Blake’s stomach turn, and it went on and on, Sammy continuing to do whatever it was he was doing, even as the other demons faltered, looking around uncertainly.  “Alright!” she shrieked.  “Fall back!”

            Hunter Sam lowered his hand, she fell heavily to the ground, and suddenly the attack stopped.

            “Why did you attack us?” Sammy demanded.

            “It was part of a deal!”  Her eyes changed to a familiar shade of red and fixed accusingly on Crowley.  “You were not supposed to be here!  What are you doing with these apes?!”

            “Who was your deal with?”  Crowley seemed quite agitated.  Blake looked at him, frowning.

            “Who do you think?” the demoness snapped.  “Arthur Ketch!  We were to take care of Shelton’s group before Azazel comes for the archangel, to make sure they don’t interfere!”

            “Should have known,” Blake growled.  “Crowley, this lady’s one of your kind, right?  Think you can talk some sense into her?”

            She cackled.  “Like I would listen to this miserable creature?!  Look at you, taking orders from humans, standing with them against your own kind!  You’re _weak!_   You’re practically a _human!_   Humans are little more than animals, there to be manipulated. You call yourself a crossroads demon? Why, you’re nothing but...!”

            Before Blake could blink, Crowley had moved forward and plunged his weapon into the other demon.  She screamed, light blazed, and she was gone.

            Hunter Sam had an odd look on his face as he looked at Crowley.  “I’m sorry.”

            “Sorry?!” Crowley spat.  “Getting you back on demon blood was nothing more than tit for your tat!  You’ll recover, go back to being no different than you were before.  What you did to me I will _never_ recover from!”  He gave a dry chuckle.  “But no worries, Moose.  With MacLeod gone, the others are leaving.  The attack is over.”  With that, he stalked away, heading deeper into the house.

            “MacLeod?” James asked.  “How’d Crowley know her name?”

            “Because he knows her,” the hunter sighed.  “I didn’t realize it right away, but we all know her very well.”

            Jess gave him a look.  “Care to fill us in?”

            “Her name’s Fergus MacLeod,” Sammy explained quietly.  “In our world, we call her Crowley.”

            Blake was digesting that when Sammy stiffened with a gasp.  “Incoming!”

            Immediately, everyone was back at battle stations.  But then Angel was standing there, staring at them in thinly-veiled distaste.  “Angel!” Blake called, relaxing.  “Glad you’re here.”

            “And not alone,” she informed him.  “I brought some friends.”

            “Great!” PJ exclaimed.  “Honestly, we were planning on just you!  How many came?  Two? Three?”

            “Twenty,” she told them.  “All ready to help save our Prince!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun laughed and said he hopes they have at least a thousand demons because they’re all dead! Celebrated quite a bit. Loved PJ’s speech and clapped for it, said it was awesome. Enjoyed Hunter Sam using his powers. Asked what the demoness thought was going to happen, mouthing off to Crowley? At first couldn’t understand why Crowley was mouthing off to Sammy, thought maybe he’d made Crowley kill her, but understood and got very wide eyes when he realized who she was! Loves that they have twenty angels, and says Crowley owes Azazel now. Says that would be a fight he’d like to watch!


	22. Deus Ex Machina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam Farrar gets some unexpected help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I always said I'd never do this! I am a big fat liarface.

            Sam Farrar wanted to fight.  He remembered what had happened to him, how he’d been shot, resurrected, and then abducted. The last thing he remembered was his own screams, coming from farther and farther away as Sam sank into the darkness. Now he was finally coming up out of that darkness.  And all he wanted to do was fight.

            “Sam?  Can you hear me?  I’ve turned off the IV sedative drip and given you the antidote.  You should be coming around, but you need to stay calm.”

            Sam had no intention of staying calm.  He thrashed, tried to struggle, but he couldn’t seem to move any of his limbs. With effort, he opened his eyes.

            He hadn’t recognized the voice, but the speaker was still there.  A small, mousy-looking man with curly chestnut hair and a beard was standing over him.  He didn’t look like one of the lab people, or even one of the hunters.  The man was dressed more like a college student in a t-shirt and jeans.  Right now, he was smiling fondly down at Sam.  Sam stared at him.  “What happened?  What are you doing to me?!”  He tried to sit up, but couldn’t move.  “Hey! Let me up!”

            Hands pressed against his chest.  “Ok, calm down!  You need to relax a moment and let the sedative work its way out of your system. Then I’ll let you loose.  But you have to calm down!  Can you do that?  Nod if you agree.”

            Sam did not agree.  He shook his head.  Something was holding him down, pressing against his arms, legs, chest and waist. He strained, realizing that he was still restrained.  He seemed to have been strapped into some kind of dentist chair.  “Fuck you!  Let me go!”

            He’d meant to scream that, but it came out hoarse and ended with a cough that hurt his throat.  He coughed again and tasted blood.  His throat was raw and seemed scratchy.  Now he was coughing up blood?!  Sam froze in fear.  “What did you do to me?!” he whispered frantically.

            “I’m here to help you, Sam!” the stranger insisted.  “Listen to me.  You’re in a special research facility, owned and operated by the Men of Letters.  They experimented on you...”

            “What?  Experimented on me?!”  Memories flashed before his eyes, Davis selling him, the scientist warning that a test subject had just died...  Sam panicked, struggling wildly in the chair.  “Let me go! Let me _go!_ ”

            “Calm down, Sam!”  The voice was firm.

            “I’ll calm down when you let me go!”

            “And I’ll let you go when I know you’re not going to do something stupid, like attack me!  Now calm down!”

            Sam forced himself to lie still.  “What happened to my voice?  What did they do to me?”

            “They gave you some kind of new drug they’re developing, designed to boost healing. Do you remember it?”

            Sam shook his head.

            “Well, that’s good, at least,” the man said.  “The drug actually worked.  It healed all your cuts and bruises, patched you up good as new.  And the effect is anticipated to last long-term, possibly even stimulating a permanent increase in your body’s natural healing ability.  I imagine if you hadn’t had a reaction to it, you’d be feeling fantastic about now!”

            “Reaction?”  Sam did not like the sound of that.

            The man shifted uncomfortably.  “Um, yeah, that’s the problem.  The experiments done in these labs create high value products to sell or utilize in the field, but they’re still in the early phases of testing.  Subjects die fairly frequently here.  This drug they gave you?  It healed you, but then you had kind of a bad reaction to it.”  He rubbed at the back of his neck self-consciously.  “You actually stopped breathing.  They had to intubate you, put you on a ventilator until they could reverse the effects.”

            “Ventilator?!”  Sam’s heart was pounding.  “I stopped breathing, and they had to put me on a machine?  You mean they almost killed me?!”

            “It was close,” the man admitted.  “You were only on the ventilator for a few hours, but they couldn’t take the tube out of your throat until about half an hour ago, when they were sure you were breathing alright on your own.  That’s why your throat is all scratchy and you’re hoarse.  It should only be temporary!”  The man looked furtively round.  “Listen, they left you alone in here to finish recovering, while they try to figure out what went wrong.  We’ve got a window of time before they come back, but it’s pretty narrow! So will you please just be calm?!”

            “I am calm!”  Sam was anything but calm.  The idea that these people had actually already been experimenting on him horrified him.  He wasn’t into drugs, and didn’t frequently get drunk.  This was anything but safe medicine.  A drug designed to boost healing that had stopped his breathing?!  Sam’s blood ran cold.  He swallowed, grimacing, and looked pleadingly at the man. “Please let me go!  I won’t attack you, just let me go!  Don’t let them experiment on me anymore, ok?  I can pay you, whatever you want, please, just let me go!”

            “I don’t want your money.  I’m here to help you.”  The man crouched down, and quickly undid the restraints on Sam’s legs.  “How’s your head?”

            “It’s fine, just a little fuzzy.”  He pulled on his remaining restraints.  “Come on, get me out of this!”

            “Ok.”  He undid the belts securing Sam’s chest and waist, and then moved to undo his right arm. “You’ve got an IV in.  Once I get you loose, I’ll take it out.  Just sit tight.”

            “Alright.”  Now that he was getting free of the restraints, Sam was much calmer.  He watched as the man expertly removed his IV. Then he sat up on the edge of the chair, holding the dressing in place on his arm as he’d been instructed.  “Not that I’m complaining, but who are you, and why are you helping me?”

            The man gave him a smile.  “I’m Charles, and I’m helping you because things have reached the point now that they’re out of hand and I need to interfere.  Keep holding this dressing, I need to get some tape.  You got any kids, Sam?”

            Sam nodded.  “Yeah, I do.”

            “Being a parent is a tough job,” Charles explained as he dug through supplies. “You could be a helicopter parent. That’s the kind that follows his kids everywhere.  He tracks everything they do, he’s always in their business, and he makes sure they never, ever, get hurt.  For a while, I was that kind of father.  But you know, it’s not healthy.  Sure, you can keep your kid from falling down and skinning his knees, but they never really get out to have fun, you know?  Now, that’s not to say that you should be an absent father and have no part at all in the lives of your kids.  But kids, they need their freedom.  They need to explore and try things for themselves, even if they make mistakes and get hurt.  Because those mistakes, and even their pain, helps them grow.”  Finding the tape, he taped Sam’s dressing in place.  Then he gently helped Sam to his feet.  “Can you walk?”

            Sam held onto Charles, waiting for the world to stop spinning.  “I think so, but I think I’m going to need some help.”

            “Yeah, I figured that.”

            Charles got an arm around him and got him moving.  Sam towered over the shorter man, but the height difference actually helped.  He could lean on Charles, and Charles steadied him easily.

            “The other type of parent is the absent one,” Charles went on as they moved quickly down the hall.  “I get accused of that a lot.  My kids like to accuse me of never being there, never helping, blah blah blah. And it’s not actually true.  See, they still need those mistakes and pains in order to grow.  So even though it sometimes hurts me to see them make those mistakes, to see them suffer? Even when it’s no fault of their own, I know it’s important that they try to find a way to muddle through, to do for themselves.  Because if I swooped in to save them every time, they’d never learn how to live on their own!”

            “Yeah, I get it,” Sam sighed.  “Where are you taking me?”

            “Down the hall to the left.  So anyway, you need to learn how to compromise.”  Apparently, Charles was determined to discuss parenting with him. “You watch over your kids, and you let them make their own mistakes.  But when things get to a certain point, a good parent needs to intervene.  Sometimes that intervention takes the form of a little nudge in the right direction, like planting a thought to give an instrument with high sentimental value to someone else who can actually use it.  Sometimes it’s a bit more dramatic, like, say, tempting someone to go looking for a treasure so he can instead stumble over someone else in need of assistance.  Sometimes you have to interfere directly, like changing schedules so that no one is watching the control room at just the right time.  And sometimes you have to be even more direct, like replacing regular ammo with armor piercing, just to make sure the right person ends up in the right place at the right time to make all the difference.”

            Sam suddenly stopped walking.  “What the hell are you saying?  Dude, what did you do?!  Davis said you’re the one who gave him his ammo!  Are you seriously saying that you _wanted_ me to get shot?!”

            “And that’s the last part about being a parent.”  Charles tightened his arm around Sam and got them moving again, heading into the door to what looked like some kind of control room.  He slid his ID card through the card holder, opened the door, and helped Sam inside.  “Some kids will always look a gift horse in the mouth, Sam.  They start out trying to do good, trying to help others. But somewhere along the way, they lose sight of their goal.  They get caught up in their own ambition, start valuing power above everything else.” As he spoke, he eased Sam into a chair in front of the control station.  “The British Men of Letters are like that.  They honestly want to change the world for the better.  But someone like Arthur Ketch just doesn’t know when to stop.  He keeps going further and further down the wrong path, and he brings the entire organization along with him until they all lose sight of their true purpose and it all falls apart.  And then it’s time to step in, like any good parent should.”

            “Alright?”  Sam was paying attention now.  “So, what, you’re helping me because you think Ketch went too far?  Well, Charles, I probably could have told you that a while ago!”

            “I’m sure.”  Charles smiled.  “The problem with someone like Ketch is that anything you do to steer him back onto the right path, he’ll fight against.  I’ve been with him now for almost a year.  He says I’m the best assistant he’s ever had, probably because I never argue with him.  But I do ask questions.  I try to make him think, consider the implications of what he’s doing.  And unfortunately, I’ve come to the most difficult conclusion that any parent can make about a child – Arthur Ketch is beyond saving.”

            “I could have told you that, too.”

            “It hurts me to say it, but it’s true,” Charles sighed.  “And that’s why I knew I had to take action.  And my action is you.”

            Sam barked laughter.  “Me? Dude, what the hell do you think I’m going to do?”

            “You’re going to turn this around.”  Charles sounded confident even as he looked sadly at Sam.  “You’re the only one who can.  Your friends think they’re prepared for what they’ll find here, but they’re not.  They’re overconfident.  Ketch has plans for every contingency, strategies for every attack your friends can throw at him.  But he hasn’t planned on you.  And that’s why he’ll fail.”

            “Ok, Charles, you are seriously delusional!” Sam complained, rubbing at his temples.

            “You know, I always hated being called Charles,” Charles mused.  “Why don’t you just call me Chuck?”

            “Ok, Chuck, how, exactly, do you expect me to...”

            Sam blinked, looking around at the empty room.  There was a soft clatter as something fell to the floor and he jumped with a muttered curse.  It was Chuck’s ID badge.  Frowning, Sam reached down to pick it up.  And that was when he saw the light just beneath his chin.  Retrieving the badge, Sam stood up, pulled off the amulet Lawyer Sam had given him, and stared at it.

            In the palm of his hand, the amulet blazed like a miniature star.  As he stared, the glow quickly faded until once again it was an odd, interesting figurine.  Sam blinked.  Had he imagined the strange glow?  He poked at it, but found no obvious source of the mysterious light.  There was no LED, no battery.  It was just a formed bit of some sort of metal, strung on a leather cord.  But for some reason his skin was now covered in gooseflesh.

            Sam carefully replaced the amulet around his neck.  He shivered, looking around.  Then he sat back down and tried to collect his thoughts.  “What am I doing here?” he mused aloud.  “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun actually cackled about Charles double-crossing Ketch. Said he did not expect that because he’s such a sycophant. Thinks Charles talking about kids was waaaaaay random. Applauded Charles for intentionally fucking over both Ketch AND Davis! And then he informed the author that he doesn’t like her when he finally realized just who Charles really is! Was yelling at himself for missing all of the hints that his all-time favorite SPN character was actually in this story, especially considering how often he was yelling for Chuck!
> 
> I am a liar, and my pants are absolutely on fire. Yes, Chuck absolutely should have been listed in the character list, especially considering the size of the role he played here. But sometimes the dynamics of AO3 really mess up your story, and this was one of those times. Had I listed him, it would have given away a crucial plot point. So I will bear my flaming britches for the sake of better storytelling.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Yes, Chuck was every bit as much of a loser in the show as he was portrayed here, right up until he revealed who he really was! Until then, everyone believed he was a prophet. He is the one that wrote the "Supernatural" books in SPNworld that resulted in the horrible fanfiction Dean complained about back in "Star." And no, the angels had no idea, not even Lucifer himself! He was passing himself off as Chuck the prophet and even had an archangel guardian (Raphael) that the Winchesters, at Castiel's suggestion, manipulated into fighting for them by intentionally placing Chuck in danger. So no, no one knew, even though Cassiel tossed Chuck right out the window of that van, and that's perfectly in line with canon!
> 
> Here's a video I found that pretty much sums up what "Chuck" is like on the show, prior to the big reveal. I very much enjoyed the "I'm a god" line. NICE, writers!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7SDRZYExQk&frags=pl%2Cwn


	23. The Compound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and his friends begin their attack on the Men of Letters compound, but are they too late?

            Dean hated to lose, especially someone innocent. But he was losing now.

            Adam, he’d come to learn, was a sweet, snarky yet gentle man.  He was caring and loving, deeply enamored of his giant of a cowboy.  He’d inspired so much loyalty in his friends that they’d put their entire lives on hold, risked everything for him.  One had even paid the ultimate price for it, and another, in truth, likely would as well.  All Adam had been trying to do was help his angel.  He’d risked everything, put his own soul in jeopardy, to help Castiel. That was the kind of man Adam was.

            There was no trace of that man now.

            “An angel!” the creature chained across from Dean was screaming.  “I need an angel!  Let me go! Bring me an angel!  I need this out of me!  Dean, you bastard, why are you keeping Cassiel away from me?!”

            “I’m not buddy,” Dean said quietly, knowing it was pointless.  “We’re both trapped here.”

            The thing wearing Adam’s skin literally snarled, lunging towards Dean, straining at the chains that held him.  The once-hazel eyes were blazing with a massive overload of Grace.  It was visible under his skin, glowing snakes of it that traveled over his body, desperately seeking a way out.  The first signs of damage were here, blisters and sores showing on the exposed skin of Adam’s face as the growing power surpassed the ability of the vessel to contain. The creature howled, shook in frustrated fury.  The binding runes on the chains were glowing brightly as they contained his power.

            The kicker was that Cassiel desperately needed some of that very same power.  His own Grace was as powerful as it ever was, but the archangel himself was alarmingly weak. Even now, he was curled up inside of Dean, wrapped around Ghost Dean as though for comfort.  If Dean didn’t know better, he’d think Cassiel was curled up asleep with a teddy bear.  Well, let him rest.  His archangel, Dean knew, was nearing the end of his endurance.  With a sinking heart, he admitted to himself that Cassiel wouldn’t last much longer.

            There was a beep, the sound of the electronic lock unlocking.  Dean got to his feet.  He felt unbelievably weary.  The strain of supporting his archangel was definitely taking its toll.  Dean’s knees were shaking as he got up, eyeing the visitors.

            “Oh, what have we here?” Ketch exclaimed as Adam howled again and lunged towards Dean.  “What’s the matter, Levine?  You need an angel?”

            “Yes!  Give me an angel, let me have him, take this out of me!”

            “Of course I will,” Ketch soothed.  “I’ve got a lovely blue-eyed angel ready and waiting to accept what you have to give him.”

            Meanwhile, the second man had come closer to Dean. Dean glared at him, seeing the demon inside of the body.  “Prince Cassiel himself!” the demon announced.  “The mighty Archangel of Serenity!  Well, you’re certainly serene now, but perhaps not so mighty?”

            “Leave him alone!” Dean snapped as Cassiel wearily stirred.

            “Oh my, the human is in charge?”  The demon laughed.  “You’re even worse off than you look, aren’t you, Your Highness?  Too bad!  I would have hoped my King might have had more time to enjoy himself, but no matter.”  The demon turned to Ketch.  “Our entourage will be arriving soon.  I expect our royal guest will be prepared for transport?”

            “I’ll have him wrapped up and ready to go,” Ketch assured.  “Would you like a bit of ribbon about his neck?”

            “Fuck you, Ketch!”  Dean looked at Adam, who was starting to strain against his chains again.  “Ketch, you know that Castiel and I are in love.  And this is the closest I’ll ever get to him now.  Let me say goodbye?”

            “By all means, say whatever you want to say!”

            “That’s not what I mean.”  Dean licked his lips, thinking fast.  “I want to give Adam a kiss, so he can pass it along to my angel. What’s the harm of that?  You know we can’t do anything with these chains!” He looked pleadingly at Ketch. “Just one quick kiss goodbye! You’re about to condemn me to Hell! Is one last goodbye kiss really asking so much?”

            Ketch pinched his lips, and seemed to be considering it.  But the demon next to him started to laugh.  “Ketch, you fool!  You’ve got this creature here loaded down with so much Grace it’s literally tearing him apart, and a dying archangel.  Right now, the chains are keeping them both in check.  But if they make physical contact?  That means one will be able to transfer Grace to the other and still keep within the confines of the wards!  You’d be a complete imbecile to allow that!”  He laughed again, shaking his finger at Dean. “You’re a clever monkey, aren’t you? But no.  I’ll be taking my prize now.” 

            “Wait!”  Cassiel had come forward.  “I’ll come with you.  Just let Dean go.”

            The demon laughed yet again.  “Now now, Your Highness, I may not be the smartest demon in Hell, but I’m far from the stupidest!  In that vessel, you’re contained.  Out of it, well, that’s another story, isn’t it?”

            “Dean is innocent!” Cassiel argued.  “He’s got nothing to do with this, and I tricked him into letting me in!”

            “That will make it even more delicious.”  He tipped an imaginary hat.  “Good day, gentlemen!”

            Ketch waited, seeming oblivious to Adam’s howls of frustration or Dean’s furious glare, until the demon had stepped out. Then he shook his head.  “Dean Winchester, no matter what universe you are in, you always seem to cause me difficulty!”

            Dean was about to retort when Cassiel again came forward.  “Heaven will abandon you, Arthur Ketch,” he announced.  “The King of Hell will claim your soul for all of eternity!”

            “Charming,” Ketch replied, unconcerned.  “Lucky for me, he’s going to busy for a bit with you. Do say hello for me?”  He stepped outside and gestured for the men waiting. “Wrap him up tight.  The sooner Azazel’s demons take their prize and leave, the happier I’ll be.  And then?” Greedy eyes fixed on Adam.  “Then, it’s time for the real prize!  Get my angel prepared.”

            _Castiel!_

            _“Don’t be afraid, Dean,”_ Cassiel soothed.  _“You’re right about Blake.  He will never give up on Adam, and he’ll do everything he can to help us.”_

 _“I know.”_  Blake would try.  Of course Blake would try.  But secretly, Dean doubted that there was anything Blake could realistically do to free them from Azazel’s clutches once they’d been dragged down to Hell. Dean was resigned to his fate. But what about Adam?

            Dean looked sadly at Adam, seeing the ruin of the singer continue to scream and fight as Ketch’s men started for Dean.  Adam was so far gone now.  Could even Blake bring him back?

****

            “It was part of a spell to close the Gates of Hell,” Hunter Sam was explaining. “A-all of them, for good!  Dean and I played a part in those Gates being opened in the first place, so I kind of felt it was my responsibility anyway. It was a trial, with three parts. The first was to bathe in the blood of a hellhound, which I did when we fought one and I stabbed it.  The second was to save an innocent soul from Hell, which we did when we saved the soul of a friend of ours, a hunter.”

            “An innocent soul went to Hell?!”  Blake’s eyes were in danger of popping.

            The hunter nodded.  “For pretty much the same reason as Dean, but we got him out.  And the third was to cure a demon.  Demons aren’t created as demons like angels are.  Th-they’re actually human souls who are so tortured and warped by evil in Hell that they become demons.  That’s why Crowley has a mother.”

            “And of all the demons, you decided to try this with the King of Hell?” Blake asked incredulously.

            Hunter Sam nodded again.  “We captured him and I started the trial.  It involved injecting him with purified human blood.  My own.”  He seemed fascinated by his hands.  “I almost did it!  Just a little more, and I’d have reverted him back to human, completed the trial.  But there was a price to be paid.  If I had completed the trial, I would have closed all the Gates, but then I would have died.  And that’s why Dean stopped me.”

            Blake shook his head.  “I don’t even know what to stay to that, Sammy.  I don’t think I could have let Adam go through with that, not even to save the world!”

            “That’s pretty much the problem right there!” Sammy exclaimed.  “Dean and I honestly caused more trouble for the world than we solved, because over and over again we threw it all away for each other. That’s why we finally made a pact. The next time we had to choose between the world and each other, we’d choose the world.  A-and that’s why I did it, why I let Sam pass himself off as me. Because I told him about that, and he used it to make me promise I’d let him do it.”

            “You did the right thing,” Jess assured.  She was driving Honey, with Hunter Sam in the passenger seat and Blake in the back with Angel.  Jess’s voice was calm, but Blake saw that her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel. Even so, as he watched she took one hand off of the wheel to gently stroke Hunter Sam’s cheek.  “You being free is the best chance he’s got.  And you’ve already proven it!  If you hadn’t been with us tonight, I don’t know how we’d have survived those demons.  They’d have killed us before Angel and her friends got there.”

            Hunter Sam clutched at her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed her knuckles.  The look they shared made Blake feel somewhat guilty for being present.  At least no one had been stupid enough to object to Jess joining them, although Sammy had asked if the kids would be alright.  No one had to confirm that he was actually asking if her children would be cared for in case none of them came back. Blake still didn’t quite know what to think about Sam Squared and Jess Winchester, but whatever they had between them seemed to be working, if the way they looked at each other now was any indication.  Blake made a show of looking away, glancing over at Angel instead.  Angel gave a small grunt around the lollipop in her mouth. She seemed fascinated by the passing scenery.

            “Anyway, that’s what Crowley meant by tit for tat,” Hunter Sam sighed. “What I did to him, along with getting him every bit as addicted to human blood as I am to demon blood, also permanently altered him.  I’d almost cured him, which meant I brought up a part of his latent humanity.  That’s why he’s so different than most demons, because of that humanity.  Based on what I’ve learned about him, Crowley was never a good man.  He absolutely earned his place in Hell, and worked his way up to running it.  He’s got an ulterior motive to pretty much everything he does, and twists things around to suit himself.  B-but at the same time, things like facing down Cassiel to save Adam?  Yeah, he turned that around to manipulate Adam, but if you think about it?  He had no way to know we’d be able to get through to Cassiel!  He actually risked his own hide to save Adam because there’s a part, a very small part, of Crowley that really does want to be good.  He actively tries to hide it, because other demons will treat him the same way this world’s version of him did and that doesn’t work so well with the whole ‘King of Hell’ thing, but it’s there.” 

            “Crowley’s still a son of a bitch,” Blake growled.  “But yeah, I guess I can see it now.  Back when Ketch came after us, I saw Crowley moving in front of the band, shielding them from bullets.  I kind of wandered about it at the time, but then forgot about it.  He didn’t have any real reason for doing that, did he?”

            “But have no fear, if he can find a way to use it to his advantage, he will!” Sammy chuckled.  “You know, it’s kind of ironic.  Castiel’s an angel with human emotions, and Crowley’s a demon who had some of his humanity restored by me.  They’ve helped each other out about a dozen times even though they hate each other. And they both fell in love with Dean!”

            “What is it about that human that supernatural beings go against their very natures for him?” Angel wanted to know.

            “Don’t ask me,” Sammy grumbled.  “I have no idea what anyone sees in that jerk!”

            “Well, he is pretty,” Blake noted.  “Not as pretty as Adam, but pretty all the same.”

            Sammy cleared his throat.  “I think Crowley may actually agree with you, Blake.  Personally, I’ve never seen him look at anyone else besides Dean the way he looks at Adam!”

            Blake had been feeling a bit softer towards Crowley.  Now that was gone.  He scowled fiercely, which earned a knowing chuckle from Jess.

            “Say Angel, how did Gabriel like those lollipops?” Hunter Sam asked, obviously looking to change the subject.

            “Very much!” Angel responded.  “What made you think of them?”

            “I knew Gabriel in my universe.  No one knew who he was at first because he’d been passing himself off as the trickster Loki. We eventually figured out the truth and asked for his help against Lucifer.”  The hunter was suddenly quiet.  “That’s what got him killed, fighting against Lucifer.  But he really liked sweet candies, especially lollipops. Makes no real sense, since angels can’t really enjoy sweets, but I suppose it goes back to the Loki thing. The lore states he always had a sweet tooth.  Not sure why I gave your Gabriel candy, though.  I guess, in some stupid way, it was my way of saying I’m sorry for getting him killed.”

            Angel eyed him, still sucking on her lollipop.  Then she returned to studying the scenery out her window.

            Jess pulled Honey over on the side of the road, and the rest of the band followed. They’d chosen a place that was in easy walking distance from the Men of Letters compound, but far enough back to maintain the element of surprise.  To that end, Blake had brought along his bow and arrows.

            Hunter Sam got out and moved around the Impala, getting into the trunk. Blake joined him and couldn’t help but chuckle.  In Unicornland, Baby’s trunk contained an arsenal.  Apparently, Hunter Sam had been trying to recreate that arsenal in Honey. He moved up with the hunter and assisted him in handing out weapons to Jess and the band.  “Any last minute advice?” Blake asked.

            “Most of what we’ll be facing is going to be human,” Sammy replied, removing a suspicious-looking box from the trunk under Crowley’s watchful eye.  “But we know that Ketch is planning to hand over Cassiel to demons, so we can bet on facing some of them.  Angel, can your people help with that?”

            “Smacking around some demons?” the angel asked around her lollipop.  “Sure!”

            Crowley rolled his eyes.  “Naturally!”

            “Sammy, can you tell if...”  PJ swallowed hard.  “Any way to know if we got here in time, before our archangel and your brother...?”

            “We made it,” the hunter replied with a smile.  “They’re still inside.  But we got incoming.  I can sense them coming, the demons, to take Cassiel.”

            “I can, too.”  Crowley was frowning, his red eyes narrowed.  “We’re in time, mates, but only just!  Blake, what about Adam?”

            Blake had been trying very hard not to think about Adam.  But now he shuddered.  “Adam’s hurting bad,” he reported.  “I woke up this morning hearing him begging Cassiel to help him.”

            “The Grace is overwhelming him.”  If Blake hadn’t been watching closely, he might have missed the slight twitch of Crowley’s lip, the way genuine concern flashed for just a moment in the blood-red orbs before the demon king’s usual sneer took its place. “Well, lucky him, we’ve got lots of pretty angels here to help him now!  And I imagine Cassiel’s badly in need of a bit of juice.”  He looked at Sammy, his eyes returning to normal. “Speaking of juice, you get enough medicine, Moose?  Those two demons Matt caught in his traps last night topped off your tanks?”

            “I’m fine,” Hunter Sam growled, slamming the trunk.  “Leave me alone, Crowley!  I don’t need reminded of what I had to do this morning!”

            Jess immediately went to him.  “We’ll get you through this,” she promised.  “Jesse can help you just like he helped those people last night that were possessed! And we’ll be right here.”

            Blake smiled as the hunter hugged her tightly.  Sammy’s green eyes were finally hopeful as they sought out Jesse. Blake had been surprised to discover that the spiritual healing techniques Jesse was so fond of could prove so helpful to traumatized people who’d just had demons ripped out of them. But Jesse had been able to perform miracles with the people Hunter Sam had freed that not even the angels could duplicate.  The musician was beaming with pride even as he checked the shotgun he’d been handed. Seeing the weapon in Jesse’s hands just seemed wrong to Blake.  But at this point, they had little choice.  He distracted himself readying his bow.  Matt had assisted him with some extra preparations last night.  He prayed they worked.

            “The real problem is going to be Ketch’s zoo,” Hunter Sam continued.  “If Ketch turns some of his monsters on us, one of two things will happen.  We’ll either have to fight whatever he throws at us, or try to convince them to turn on their masters.”  His eyes went to Crowley.  “Seeing as how we’ve got an expert negotiator with us, I’m hoping for as much of the latter as possible?”

            Crowley gave a mocking little bow.  “At your service!”

            “James, you’re our best shot,” Blake directed.  “I want you and Jesse to stay back and give us as much cover as you can. Matt, since you decided to take those runed brass knuckles, looks like you’re part of the insertion team.  Jess, you took a pair, too?  Good for you, girl!  Mickey, what do you have?  A walking stick?”

            “Actually, it’s a holy rod,” Hunter Sam provided.  “Works great on anything weak against holy weapons, and also makes a decent cudgel!”

            “Where did you get that?” Crowley asked, suspicious.  “Where did you get any of this?”

            “Same place you did,” Sammy retorted.  “I asked Angel for a ride back to your hide-out where you took me and Sam, and I helped myself!  Thanks, Crowley!”

            The demon glowered at him.

            “Ok, holy walking stick, got it.”  Blake moved on.  “PJ, what about you?”

            “I’m staying with Angel’s people,” PJ announced.  “They gave me one of those angel blades, but mostly I’m going to coordinate them.”

            “These will help with that!”  James was passing out two-way radios.  “They were in the concert stuff back at the ranch.”

            “And you will need this, Mr. Shelton.”

            Blake looked down to see a familiar golden blade in Angel’s hand.  He took it with a trembling hand.  “You want me to have this?  But this is...!”

            “Our wayward prince will be needing it,” she informed him.  “Only an archangel can utilize its full power. But I think you can figure out the basics.  Pointy end goes into the other man?”

            Blake blinked.  Had Angel just made a reference to “The Mask of Zorro?”  No, that was highly unlikely.  He smiled and nodded.  “Thanks. I’ll make sure to give it to him.” He straightened, looking everyone over. “Alright,” he called.  “The angels are going to make the initial entrance, but I’m going to see what I can do about cutting down a bit on the guards before that happens.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun is still excited about twenty angels. Was sad about what was happening to Adam. Thought Dean’s plan would work for a moment, but remembered demons apparently know everything. Really liked Cassiel telling Ketch that if he went through with this, there was no redemption! Laughed really hard about Hunter Sam stealing Crowley’s stuff. Likes Blake with his bow. Says he expects beatings all around!
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> This is how Crowley actually became the King of Hell. That's one of the Princes of Hell he's talking to in this video. And this is why Crowley does not mess with them.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMfWS2pHzFY
> 
> It seems I caused a bit of confusion in the last chapter. To clarify, "Deus Ex Machina" is a writing mechanic meaning "God from the machine." Basically, it's used by bad writing for last-minute improbable saves, ie the hand of God. So I used it because God literally showed up in that chapter. It's tongue in cheek. As to the other questions, I'll let "Supernatural" answer them. This is an angel, Joshua, who hears God's voice. Our heroes have been looking for God to help them stop the coming apocalypse. Joshua answers most of the questions about God in SPN lore that I've been asked here.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYHsr1zO7b0


	24. The Wayward Musician

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam Farrar makes his move

            Sam Farrar was getting the hang of the control station.  He’d been pleasantly surprised to discover that the main computers of the compound didn’t operate that much differently than the equipment he was used to for controlling stage functions at a concert.  In fact, the cameras, lighting, monitors, and public address systems were identical to what Maroon 5’s technicians operated during their stage shows.  Sam had always been involved in the stage production. He, more than anyone else in the band, knew how to utilize them to put on a good show.  Still, he had no idea what good it would do.  From the computers, he could probably figure out how to operate systems like the fire suppression devices and emergency locks.  That could potentially come in handy at some point, especially if he could figure out the override on the locks into the restricted areas.  But mostly, he could flash lights, take pictures, show images, and play music. So what?  Sam had always been a man of science.  What he was doing now was basically trusting to blind faith based entirely on a single unexplainable event that he couldn’t help but give a deep, spiritual meaning to.  It was entirely what whole religions were based on.  Sam had never really understood religion.  Until he’d met Castiel, he’d been firmly grounded in the rational.  But now he suddenly found himself moving forward on little more than belief in the cryptic words of someone he’d known only for a few minutes, someone who might be... Who couldn’t possibly be...?

            Nope.  Don’t go there again.  Focus on the here and now.

            Sam had already scrolled through the cameras, learning the views he had access to.  He’d already found all of his friends who’d been captured with him.  A bit of poking around through the floor plans stored on the computer had revealed where all of them were being held. Bobby and Rufus appeared to be asleep in their cells.  Hunter Sam was a bit worrisome, strapped into a chair with an IV in his arm just as he himself had been, with people in lab coats moving around him.  He appeared to be unconscious – wait, no, he’d just turned his head away from someone trying to talk to him.  Sammy was awake, just heavily sedated.  So was Castiel, strapped into an identical chair and chained down as well.  And finding Adam had made his stomach churn.  Adam looked terrifying, and the lost look on Dean’s face, with the hunter chained up and able to do nothing but watch, was heartbreaking.  Sam hadn’t accessed the camera in their cell again, choosing instead to focus on the hallway leading to their cell.  But now that he’d found everyone, he still didn’t know what he could do about them. Bobby, Rufus, and Hunter Sam were all in A building.  Adam and Dean were in C building.  Between those buildings and his own were dozens of patrolling guards, workers, and, of course, Ketch himself.  Getting into them was going to be a challenge Sam didn’t think he could defeat.  But Castiel was maddeningly close, on another floor in the same building he was.  All Sam had to do was go down the hall, either on the elevator or up the stairs, down another hall, and through a door that Chuck’s keycard would surely be able to open. Except Castiel was never alone.

            The first time Sam had seen Dean, seated on a stool Castiel’s room to hold the angel’s hand and speak with him, he’d been shocked.  Sam knew Dean hadn’t escaped, and wouldn’t just sit and chat with Castiel while the angel was still drugged and restrained if he had.  Then “Dean” had turned his head slightly, and the camera picked up a telltale flare from his eyes.  Sam recognized it from his research and his talks with Hunter Sam – shapeshifter. Now he knew how it was that Ketch had been able to get so much information from their angel, and why Hunter Sam had said Castiel thought he was talking to Dean.  Ketch was using one of his monsters to impersonate Dean.  It was sickening.  Sam couldn’t imagine how Castiel would feel once he learned the truth. All Castiel had ever wanted was to protect them.  Finding out that he’d been the instrument that had allowed Ketch to capture them all would devastate their angel.

            Of course, unless Sam figured out exactly what the hell it was he was supposed to do here, it wouldn’t matter anyway.

            Then he saw Ketch appear, motioning to “Dean” to come out.  The two of them walked out.  Sam followed them on the monitors, saw them head outside.  A couple of his men took the shifter into C building, but Ketch was now speaking to a stranger.  And a quick check showed no one around Castiel.  Sam smiled, even as his heart pounded.  Now was his chance!

            Sam did a quick check of his cameras, making sure the coast was clear. Then he grabbed Chuck’s ID badge and was out the door, moving quickly down the hall.  The elevator was too risky.  He took the stairs instead, the ID badge opening the way up to the next floor. And a moment later, another quick slide of the badge let him into the room.

            Castiel looked awful.  The angel had been washed up and dressed, the stubble on his face trimmed and his hair clean, although it was in the same somewhat messy style Sam remembered.  His face bore the marks of fading bruises.  An ominous line of nearly-healed bruises circled his neck.  Castiel had obviously been through a terrible ordeal.  Nothing looked fresh, which told Sam that no one had hurt him in some time, at least not badly enough to leave marks.  Physically, it seemed the angel had been cared for.  But Castiel’s skin was ghastly pale.  His eyes appeared sunken, his cheeks hollow.  He was breathing, but his breaths seemed shallow. The sight of his angel in such poor condition made Sam’s own breathing quicken.  Castiel looked sick, like he’d barely be able to stand and walk.  And yet he was chained down like a dog, runed manacles locked around his wrists and ankles attached to heavy runed chains, fastening his limbs to the base of the chair.  A runed chain wrapped around his waist before it, too, was locked to the chair’s base.  Then the straps holding him into the chair fastened around the heavy manacles, doubly restraining him in the chair.  It was sickening.  Sam quickly came over and took his hand.  “Castiel!” he called.  “Can you hear me?”

            The angel stirred, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal glazed, confused blue eyes.  “S-Sam?  Sam Farrar?”

            “Yes!”  Sam tightened his grip for a moment.  He took hold of the IV dripping into the angel’s veins and quickly tore it free. Then he began searching frantically around the room.  “Where’s the key to those chains?”

            “Chains?”  The angel shifted, seemed to notice his restraints for the first time.  “I don’t understand.  Why am I tied down?  Let me go! I have to help Adam.  Dean said Adam is here, that he needs me to take back my Grace.  Where are they?”

            “Castiel, that wasn’t Dean, ok?”  Sam didn’t pause in his searching.  “Ketch took you away, and we’ve been searching for you.  We’re going to get you out of here!”

            “Yes, please, get me...”  Castiel suddenly paused, his eyes opening wide.  “Dean!”

            “We’ll get to Dean,” Sam promised.  “But first we gotta get you loose!”

            “No,” the angel groaned.  “Dean!  You have to help Dean!”

            “Dean’s fine, buddy.”

            “No, he’s not fine!  He’s afraid, help him!”  The angel was struggling weakly now.  “Please, Sam!  You have to help Dean!”

            “I can’t!  I need your help, how the hell do I get these chains off of you?”  Sam went on a tear through the room, rifling through cupboards and drawers.  He slammed a drawer in frustration and clutched at his hair.  How could they leave someone chained down with no way to get them loose in an emergency?! It was disgusting.  But now, Sam really understood how Jesse must have felt when he’d been forced to leave him behind in the truck.  Castiel was here, he was _right here,_ but there didn’t seem to be any way to get him loose.  There was simply no way Sam could see to free his angel.  Desperate, he moved back to check the manacle on Castiel’s wrist, hoping there was some way he could slide it off, knowing even before he looked that there wasn’t. Defeated, he sank to his knees, clinging to the angel’s hand.  “Castiel?” he whispered.  “I can’t get you loose!”

            “Doesn’t matter,” the angel mumbled.  His eyes were closed again, still deeply under the effects of the drug.  “Help Dean!”

            Help Dean.  That was actually a very good idea.  Dean was resourceful.  He might be able to pick these locks, or maybe Hunter Sam or Rufus or Bobby could do it? All of the hunters had skills that might be useful in freeing Castiel.  But none of them were here in this building!  No choice.  He’d have to get to one of them.  Alright. Sam got up and tried to steel his nerves.  He’d have to somehow find a way to sneak into one of the other buildings and free one of the hunters.  It was the only chance he had.  At least now he’d stopped the drug from flowing into the angel’s veins.  Surely that would help!

            Fighting back tears, he leaned over Castiel and hugged him as much as he could around the restraints.  He planted a kiss in the angel’s messy hair.  “I’ll come back for you, Castiel!  I promise!”

            The blue eyes fluttered open, fixed for a moment on Sam.  Then they glazed and closed once more.

            Sam forced himself to turn away from his angel. He felt like throwing up. Stumbling blindly towards the door, he didn’t register at first that it had opened before he’d reached it.  But he snapped out of it fast when a heavy hand clamped onto his arm.

            “How the hell did you get out?!” Davis exclaimed, dragging the startled musician forward.  “No matter, I’ll get you strapped back in.  Ketch wants his pet and I don’t have time to deal with this now!”

            Sam didn’t think.  He just swung as hard as he could at the hunter’s face.  Davis easily caught his fist and Sam brought up his knee, going for another kick to the groin.  Davis sidestepped easily with a low chuckle.  Then he shoved Sam hard against the wall, dragging his arm up behind his back.

            Sam felt the plastic tie brush the skin on his wrist and panicked.  No.  He couldn’t let Davis trap him again!  Sam struggled frantically, almost got free for a moment.  Then he received a hard blow that made stars flash before his eyes and his head spin. For a moment, the world went grey. And by the time his head cleared, he was sliding down the wall, his hands once again caught behind him in a plastic tie.

            Sam looked up and saw Davis walking away from him, heading towards Castiel.  Castiel was frowning, trying to sit up and straining at his restraints.  “Sam?  Don’t hurt Sam!  Leave him alone!”

            “Yeah yeah, worry about yourself right now. You’re going to go see Adam, remember?”

            “Adam?”  The angel blinked in confusion at the larger man.

            “Yes, Dean told you that you have to help him, take that Grace out of him, remember?”

            “I...  Dean is...?”

            “Dean’s fine, now do what he says.”  Davis started unfastening the straps that held the angel into the chair.  “We apparently gotta make a detour along the way here, but it’s real important you take that Grace, ok?”

            The dazed blue eyes moved past him, seeking out Sam.  “But Sam...!”

            “Don’t worry about Sam, he’s fine too, now hold still so I can get you loose.  How the hell I’m going to carry you and drag that skinny bastard at the same time is beyond me!  Guess I’ll just tie him up in here, get some lab assistant to fetch him.  Why the hell they don’t take better care of their lab rats is beyond me!”  He sighed. “For fuck’s sake, how am I supposed to get you loose if you won’t hold still?!  Would you please just stop struggling?!”

            Castiel was still watching Sam, straining to get up. “Sam!”

            “I told you, he’s fine!”

            Sam wasn’t fine, but he wasn’t idle either. While Davis was distracted with his angel, Sam was busy sliding his bound hands past his legs.  Getting up, he raised them up like Jesse had done and brought them sharply down.  The tie cut into his wrists, but once again, the Hercules life hack worked.

            Sam didn’t take time to dance.  He ran for the door.  It wouldn’t open.  He’d dropped Chuck’s ID badge.  Now Davis had noticed him and was coming after him with a shout.  Sam ducked away from the hands trying to catch him and ran past Davis, moving back into the room.  There didn’t seem to be any other way out.  Breathing fast, he turned to face Davis.

            Davis’s face had gone red with fury.  He charged at Sam.

            _Muscle memory.  Don’t overthink it.  Use your hips as a fulcrum._   Davis was bigger than Dean, but he sailed over Sam’s head exactly the way Dean had during practice.  The big man flew with a startled squawk and hit hard, head-first against a counter. There was a sickening crack.  Davis fell limply to the floor, his head bent at an awkward manner and his limbs jerking.  After a moment, the man went still.

            Sam stared at him in shock.  Behind him, Castiel was still calling his name, trying to somehow come to his aid despite the fact he was drugged out of his mind, chained down, and still mostly strapped into the chair.  Sam’s attention was focused on Davis.  Was it a trick?  Didn’t matter.  Davis had come in here to take Castiel.  That meant he had to have a key somewhere on him that would unlock the runed chains. There was no choice.

            Sam gingerly approached.  His stomach churned at the way the man’s neck was obviously broken. No, this was no trick.  _I killed a man,_ he thought.  _But I had no choice!_

            Touching the body made his skin crawl, but he found a silver key with matching runes in Davis’s breast pocket.  And a moment later, the locks on Castiel’s chains were popping easily open.  But getting his angel free was harder than it should have been.  Castiel would not stop trying to get up, insisting over and over again that he had to help Dean.  “You know, I think I get now why Dean’s so head over heels for you,” Sam commented as he finally got the last strap off and helped his angel sit up.  “You just never give up, do you?”

            “I’m your bodyguard,” Castiel mumbled.  He was smiling at Sam now, even though he was still obviously under the influence.  “My job is to guard your body.”

            Sam smiled.  “How about you let me guard yours for a little while now, huh?”

            “Ok,” came the sleepy mumble.  Once again, the angel’s eyes were closing.

            Yeah, there was no way Castiel was going to be able to walk.  Sam got in front of him, dumping the angel over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  He grabbed Chuck’s ID badge and quickly headed back to the control room.

            By the time they reached the relative safety of the control room, Castiel was sound asleep and softly snoring.  Alright, then.  Sam let him down, covering him with an old lab jacket he’d found.  Then he took a moment to collect himself.  He’d done it!  He’d saved Castiel!  Well, at least he’d gotten his angel free, for now.  They were still very far from safe.

            “Dean!”  Castiel was mumbling in his sleep.  “I have to help Dean!”

            Sam frowned.  Then he looked at the monitors and froze.  Dean was out of his cell, the chains wrapped tightly around his body so that he could barely move.  He was being carried over the shoulder of a smiling man.  Alarmed, Sam looked at the other monitors.  The compound was suddenly very busy, men and women in all sorts of dress milling around.  The camera showed dozens of coal-black eyes.  “Oh no, they’re here!  What the hell do I do now?!”

            He paced back and forth, trying to think.  Then he looked at the control panel and he paused.  Moving quickly over to the panel, he started throwing switches. And dimly, from outside of the building, he could hear the blaring of alarms as the emergency lock-down triggered in Ketch’s zoo.  Warded barriers slammed into place, locking everyone, monsters, angels, and humans alike, inside.

            Alright.  That brought him some time to save Dean and Cassiel.  But at the same time, it drastically reduced his own time.  It wouldn’t take long before someone figured out that someone was in the control room and come looking.  Sam glanced over at Castiel.  His angel was sound asleep, the drug still very much in effect.  He had to do something to protect Castiel before he went any further.  Fine. Sam went back to the monitors. Before long, he found what he was looking for.

            Moving quickly, Sam went to Castiel.  “Come on, buddy,” he called softly.  “I gotta get you somewhere a little safer than this.”

            It didn’t take long.  He had to carry the angel again, Castiel still too drugged to really walk or even fully understand what was happening.  But it wasn’t even five minutes before Sam was back in the control room.

            Apparently, that was all the time it took for all Hell to break lose outside.

            Sam stared, stunned, at the chaos on the monitors.  He shook his head and chuckled.  At least now, he thought he knew what to do.  He sat down and watched the monitors for a moment, considering. “British Men of Letters, huh?” he mused. He smiled.  Then he got on the computer.  A moment later, he cranked up the volume.

            From every speaker on the compound, rock music began to blare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said “distraction” when Sam was trying to figure out what he was going to do. Says it makes sense that Ketch used one of his monsters to impersonate Dean to get information from Castiel. Cheered for Davis getting his neck broken. Was awesome that it was Sam Farrar who got Cass out, the one person who didn’t believe in anything outside of science had to save the angel!


	25. The British Invasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and his friends make their move on the British Men of Letters compound, and get both some unexpected assistance, and some unexpected resistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! Real life stuff. Posting may unfortunately be a bit sporadic, which is especially bad at this point in the story I know, but GISH starts Saturday. I'll do what I can! Thanks for patience!

            Blake crept closer with Jess Winchester, both of them staying low to the ground.  The band, Blake knew, wasn’t far behind him, with Hunter Sam and Crowley waiting in the wings.  Blake wasn’t sure exactly where PJ had gone with Angel and the other angels, but he was sure they were somewhere close by.

            “Those wards are going to be a problem,” Jess murmured.  “Aren’t those the same as the ones you boys used to keep the angels from finding you?”

            Blake nodded.  “Adam tattooed the band pretty early on, and the rest of us already had ‘em. But we needed to make sure.  Those over there do the same thing against demons. That means Crowley and Hunter Sam won’t be better off.”

            “Sammy will be just fine,” Jess declared.  “It’s my husband I’m worried about, Blake! He...”  She shook her head.  “They hurt him, I know they did!  I dreamed about him last night, and he was so afraid!  I’ve got to get him out of there, and I swear, I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way!”

            Blake pinched his lips.  Last night before he’d gone to bed, the last he’d seen of Jess Winchester, she was hanging off of Hunter Sam’s neck with her legs wrapped around his waist, kissing him passionately as the hunter carried her up the stairs into one of the guest bedrooms.  Any other time, he’d have questioned the validity of her claim now. But only an idiot would deny the bond Sam Squared shared with each other.  The two shared everything, even, apparently, Lawyer Sam’s wife.  And it seemed Jess honestly did love them both! Their unique trio was something no one outside of the three of them could ever truly understand.  And Blake knew all too well just how much Jess must be longing for her husband.  Even now, he knew Adam was suffering.  The look he saw in Jess’s eyes now was the same one he’d seen in the mirror.  “Jess, you listen to me,” he murmured.  “We are getting them all out of there today, and they are never, ever going back!  Your firm is going to make sure these fuckers never do this shit to another person again. But right now, we do what we have to do.”

            Her face reminded Blake of a beautiful yet deadly snake.  She looked absolutely dangerous as she handed Blake an arrow.  They’d call on their supernatural allies soon enough, but they’d already decided that their first attacks should be ordinary enough.  Blake was a great shot with his bow.  It was a quiet yet deadly way to tip the odds in their favor before the compound defenders even recognized they were under attack.  They both looked up as an alarm sounded from one of the buildings.  People began running towards it, and the guards were suddenly distracted.  Blake knew he’d never get a better shot.

            Blake had killed before.  Just this morning, he’d killed demons, knowing that they were using innocent human hosts.  Now he was about to take human lives, humans who maybe were only doing their job, hired to patrol an armed compound with no real idea of what was inside.  But it didn’t matter.  _For Adam._

__

            The first arrow found its mark.  The guard in the right tower looked down, shocked, at the shaft protruding from his chest before falling backwards.  The guard in the left tower soon followed.  Blake fought back the sudden flood of guilt and accepted the next arrow Jess handed him.  But here, his luck ran out.  His arrow flew home, but the guard managed to let out a single startled shout before he went down.  And that brought the other guards at the gate running.

            Jess’s eyes were cold as ice as she handed him another arrow.  “Take them down,” she ordered.

            “Yes, ma’am!”  Arrow after arrow sailed from his bow.  Dressed in his camo hunting gear and hidden back in the brush, Blake was difficult to find.  Meanwhile, he had clear shots on the guards racing to find him.  He had them all down in moments.

            “Nice shooting, Tex!”

            Blake tipped his cap at her.  Then he grabbed his radio.  “Ok, Hunter Sam and Crowley, you’re up!”

            “Copy.”

            Blake kept an eye on Jess, watching her as the angel wards began to warp, demonic powers altering the Enochian runes until they were meaningless symbols.  He’d been too busy to gauge how she reacted to seeing Hunter Sam’s powers, and this morning, trying to avoid being detained by police, they’d been in a rush out the door. She’d seemed fine in the car, but was she really alright with seeing clear proof that Sammy was something other than human?  Apparently, she was.  Her face showed no fear, no uncertainty or any sign that she was at all disturbed as the wards went down.  Instead, she was smiling, her eyes full of love, hope, and pride.  And why not?  Her soulmate was doing what he had to do in order to save her other soulmate.  No, Blake decided, he didn’t need to worry about Jess and Sam Squared.  They were just fine.

            “The angel wards are down,” Sammy announced over the radio.  “PJ, mind asking the angels to return the favor?”

            “They’re already at work.”

            And they were.  The demon wards simply glowed for a moment and then winked out of existence, leaving only scorched marks where they once were.

            “Nice work!” Blake complimented.  “Tell Angel thank you.”

            “I’ll let her know, but she’s already moving up,” PJ replied.  “By the way, one of the other angels let something slip, and I nearly fell over! Blake, did you notice how Angel seemed to get humans way more than Castiel or Cassiel did?  Well, turns out there’s a reason for that!  She’s a genuine guardian angel!  That’s why she showed up when we asked Gabriel for help, and why she’s helping us now.  She knows about humans because she watches over them under the leadership of the archangel Barachiel.  She finally admitted that when we called Gabriel, Gabriel knew he couldn’t send any of his own angels without alerting Michael, and Michael’s still mad about the assbutt thing and Cassiel running off with Ghost Dean.  So Gabriel asked one of Barachiel’s angels to help.  I guess everyone else here is just a basic messenger angel under one of the other archangels, but she’s an actual guardian, even tougher than Castiel!  How cool is that?  We got some real power on our side!”

            “Glad to hear that,” Blake reported.  “This has been way too easy so far.  Ketch has to know by now that the demons didn’t kill us.”

            “Blake, we got a problem!”  Hunter Sam, immediately confirming Blake’s suspicions. “We got incoming!  And I mean, we have _really_ got incoming!”

            Jess grabbed his arm.  “Blake!  Look!”

            Blake had already seen it.  Coming over the horizon, a monstrous black cloud was boiling its way across the sky, racing towards them.  The angels, it seemed, saw it too.  Blake saw Angel gesturing, directing her people into position.  Then she stepped forward, raising her silver angel blade challengingly at the sky.

            Blake made his decision in a split second. “I’m going in!” he announced.  “If that cloud’s demons, then our angels are about to have their hands full.  I gotta get inside before it starts!”

            “I’m with you,” Jess announced.

            “So are we!”

            Blake looked back, seeing Matt, Mickey, James and Jesse running forward.  Blake nodded grimly.  He adjusted his bow and the special arrows he’d made in their quiver across his back and quickly emptied a glass vial into the quiver.  Next he picked up the archangel blade and tucked it into his belt. Then he was up and racing for the gate.

            Blake charged through the gate, registering a lanky figure and a man in black had joined his group.  Hunter Sam and Crowley.  They were all inside a moment before the boiling black cloud raced overhead, the leaders dipping down in front of the first building like miniature tornados that streaked towards the angels.  There was a sound like a clap of thunder and the ground shook.

            But Blake had little time to consider the titanic battle going on beyond the gates.  The area inside the compound was filled with people, but oddly enough, they weren’t wearing uniforms.  There were at least two dozen men and women, standing oddly in the middle of everything. They seemed oblivious to the boiling black clouds of demons overhead, instead intent on watching Blake and his group. Then Blake saw their eyes go black and understood.  “Demons!” he called.  “You guys ready?”

            “Start us off, big boy,” Jess purred.  “We’ll do the rest!”

            Blake went for the special arrows and started launching them as fast as he could.  Each was a normal arrow that Blake had glued a bit of sponge to, tucking it just behind the head of the arrow.  The small sponges were wet with the holy water he’d dumped into his quiver. When they hit, the surprised demons got quite the shock.

            The demons broke ranks and charged at Blake’s group just as Blake fired the last of his holy arrows.  Blake slung his bow and drew his archangel blade while the guns started firing from behind him.  Hunter Sam stayed at the rear, trusting Blake to lead their attack while he covered their gunmen.  Mickey moved up to join Matt and Jess, holding his holy walking stick like a ball bat. He nailed the first demon in the side of the head, creating a flash of light and blasting the demon’s head completely off.  He whooped. “This thing is awesome!”

            Blake agreed, but he was too busy to say much. Matt and Jess were putting their runed knuckles to work, literally pounding through the demons.  Blake was stabbing and slashing.  He took a moment during the fighting to reflect he’d come full circle.  Here he was, back in his own universe and once again attacking demons with a handheld blade to try to save Adam.  And he was every bit as determined to hack and slash his way through every demon in his way to save his husband now as he’d been then.

            Before long, his group had cleared the demons out of the courtyard.  Now the guards were coming at them, shouting and drawing weapons.  Blake pulled his bow again, shouting at his people to get to cover.  But to his surprise, the air was suddenly filled with red smoke.  It billowed between Blake’s group and the attacking guards, shielding them from the gunfire.  Meanwhile, Hunter Sam had run up.  He waved a hand almost negligently and the guards went flying.  They were quickly taken down.

            The red smoke retreated, narrowing until it entered the open mouth of a still figure lying just behind Blake’s group. And then Crowley was getting to his feet, brushing off his suit and looking smug.  “Which way, Sexy?” he asked, winking at Blake.

            Unfortunately, Blake thought that was a damned good question. Blake could hear the alarms sounding in one building, where a flurry of activity indicated something out of the ordinary happening.  But there were over half a dozen buildings here!  Signs on the buildings had letter designations, along with proper names. Blake looked from A, the William B. Yarrow building, to B, the Jerold M. Invanz building and shook his head.  “We can’t search all of them!  Where the hell do we go?”

            “Dean’s there,” Sammy reported, pointing towards building C, the Ingrid C. Davies building.  “But so are a buttload of guards!  We’re going to have our work cut out for us if we start there, and meanwhile the rest of our people will still be in danger!”

            “Well, let’s...”  Blake didn’t get to finish his sentence.  The sound of an electric guitar drowned out his thought.  And then building A was blazing with light.  The electronic doors swung open as the lyrics kicked in on the familiar tune.

            _“Hey brother, ready for another dose of my Yankee pride?  In the jungle you just might stumble onto something that you never tried!”_

            “It’s ‘Damn Yankees,’” Mickey laughed.  “Nothing like pissing off the British Men of Letters _and_ insulting our angels at the same time! That’s Sam Farrar!”

            “It’s gotta be,” James agreed.  “Look at that idiot, flashing the lights in time to the music!”

            “Blake, it seems Sam wants us to go in there,” Matt chuckled.  “I say we do it!”

            “I agree!”  Blake slung his bow again and readied his archangel blade.  “Alright, James and Jesse, when we get inside, I want you two to stay to the rear and cover our exit.  Crowley, range ahead, see if you can’t find our people.  And Sammy, let us know if anything else unexpected is coming!  Alright, y’all, let’s go!”

            The majority of the people in the building looked like science geeks.  They took one look at Blake’s determined group and fled.  But there were still several guards who quickly raised the alarm. It was time to fight again.

            Jess and Matt were quick to charge in.  Matt put muscles conditioned by years of drumming to good use, pounding his weapons into his opponents with a rhythm he could have used on any drum set.  Meanwhile Jess wasn’t nearly as physically strong, but made up for it by being quick and agile.  Letting Hunter Sam go to Jess’s aid, Blake moved to assist Matt, using his long reach to feint, stab, and slash at his opponents.  Nearby, he could hear a guard grunt in pain as Mickey put his holy walking stick to use.

            _“You don't have to worry, help is on the way!  We don't need no thank you, ma'am, we know what they're gonna say!  They say hey, hey, damn Yankee!”_

            “Help is on the way, alright!” Blake called when the last guard in their group went down.  He grabbed his two-way radio.  “Crowley!” he barked into it.  “Status report?”

            “I’ve found Bobby and Rufus!” Crowley reported over the radio.  “It was decidedly easy.  I just followed the trail of flashing lights.  If this is Sam Farrar, he’s quite helpful!”

            “Ok, get back here,” Blake ordered as the lights began to flash down the hall to his left.  “Looks like Farrar wants us to go this way next!”

            Blake led the way, following the flashing lights down the hall.  The music continued to blare, following their running battle.  It was surreal.  “ _Suck on the barrel of my hot shotgun,”_ Jesse was singing as he fired.  _“Smile when you say ‘damn Yankees!’”_

            Blake shook his head and kept going.  The lights led them unerringly ahead until the door buzzed open on one room.  And Lawyer Sam was inside.

            Jess gave a cry and raced for him.  The furious blonde made short work of the shocked men in lab coats who were tending to her husband.  Then she was busy undoing his restraints, assisted by Bobby and Hunter Sam.  Blake heard a low growl from Matt and nodded.  He understood why the drummer was so upset.  The lawyer was strapped into a chair with an IV in his arm. Various instruments had been laid out around him, and electrodes had been stuck onto his skin.  None of it looked like it was for any real medicinal purpose.  In fact, there was only one thing Blake could think of for what he was seeing.

            “They were gonna torture him!” Jesse whispered, looking sick.

            “They were already torturing him,” James hissed. “It was just gonna get a whole lot worse!”

            But Lawyer Sam seemed largely uninjured.  He was very groggy, but once Bobby drew up a vial of something and gave it to him, the lawyer recovered quickly.  “I’m alright,” he groaned.  “You guys got here just in time.  They wanted to know about Unicornland, why they came here, what was so special about Sammy and Dean.”  He looked at Hunter Sam, his green eyes full of defiance.  “You would have been proud, Sammy!  I didn’t say a word!  They didn’t hurt me too much last night, but this morning...?”  He shuddered, glancing back at the room.  Then he looked at the group surrounding him and smiled. “Thanks.”

            “I’d go through Hell for you,” Jess told him as she and Hunter Sam got the lawyer to his feet.  “You just stay close to me until you feel more like yourself again. I’ll make sure no one else hurts you or I’ll die trying!”

            “We all will,” Hunter Sam vowed.  “You did great, Sam.  We never could have pulled this off if you hadn’t done what you did!”

            The lawyer smiled.  He tightened his arm around his counterpart and leaned heavily on his shoulder as they started out.

            Blake smiled at this.  Then he was back out of the room with Matt and Rufus, checking out the hall.  “No more lights?” he called.  “Where the hell is Sam Farrar?”

            “He wasn’t ever brought in with us,” Rufus reported.  “I haven’t seen him since we first got here and they brought him around to show off his bruises.”  He paused, nodding at the looks he was getting.  “Yeah, the bastards beat on him.  It was pretty clear that they were going to take out any trouble we caused on him. But I got no idea where they took him once they locked us up.  Frankly, when I heard the commotion, he’s the one I was most worried about!  That him playing the music and flashing the lights?”

            “We think so, yes.  But the only hall that’s lit up now is the one leading outside.”

            “Do we know for sure this is Sam Farrar?” Bobby asked.  His attention was still primarily on Lawyer Sam, who was being walked out by Jess and Hunter Sam.  “I’ll feel a lot better if he is, but we really need to find him!”

            “Whoever it is, they’ve already made it real easy to find you guys, so it seems they’re on our side,” Matt called.  “I’d put money on it being Farrar.  The lighting and music are something he’s good at.  So keep an eye out for the lights, guys! He’ll show us where we need to go!”

****

            Someone was pounding on the door.  The barricade, consisting of a shelf, a table, and several chairs piled up in front of the door, held.  Now the guard was knocking on the reinforced glass window, demanding to be let in. Sam Farrar gave him the finger with one hand, the other busy switching through his monitors.  Blake and his friends had rescued the hunters and were heading out of A building, following his trail of lights.  Good.  They’d need all the help they could get now.  Taking a deep breath, Sam switched off the containment breech alarms and switched on every light in C building.  Then he cued up another song.  Too bad he didn’t have a microphone.  The PA system would have been useful for warning his friends about what they were up against now.  He’d have to do as much as he could with what he had and hope they figured it out.  “Be careful, Blake,” he called as he readied the electronic lock on the main door and started flashing lights to get the attention of his friends.  “This one’s gonna be tough!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun cheered wildly about Angel being a guardian angel and sang a little song about it. Was excited about angel-on-demon violence! Said he’d yell about how awesome the holy walking stick was, too. Was dancing to the music and singing along. Cheered for Lawyer Sam, said he looked pretty beat up, but he was alright. Laughed about Sam Farrar giving the finger while he kept on the controls and demonstrated how he was doing that.
> 
> Song Farrar plays is "Damn Yankees" by Damn Yankees  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sERqBdeCfE


	26. The Zoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle moves to Ketch's zoo, bringing some tough opponents in the form of Ketch's monsters

            The familiar guitar riff that now echoed through the compound was one Blake recognized instantly.  It was Guns ‘N Roses playing “Welcome To the Jungle.”  And now the lights on the building labeled C were flashing.

            “The zoo,” he announced in unison with the band.

            “Makes sense,” Rufus grumbled.  He’d appropriated a shotgun from one of the defeated guards.  “Ketch’s zoo would have the kind of wards and structure necessary to hold angels, so naturally he’d bring Dean and Adam there.”

            “What about Farrar?” Bobby wanted to know.  “That son of a bitch already had my boy beaten, and now he’s keeping him locked up with monsters?!”

            “We’ll get him out!”  Blake wasn’t sure he liked the look in Jesse’s eyes as the former pacifist held his weapon.  “We’ll get them all out!”

            “Blake, Sam’s in no shape to fight,” Hunter Sam announced.  “And I don’t dare leave him alone.”

            “He won’t be alone,” Jess called.  She gently helped her still-groggy husband rest against the wall. “I’m here.”

            “Yes, but...”  The hunter’s green eyes were on the clouds that still boiled overhead.  The fight between the angels and the demons was still going on.

            Blake nodded and made a quick decision.  “Stay here with him,” he ordered.  “With Bobby and Rufus, we got reinforcements.  And if it gets too hot inside, Crowley can jump back and bring you up.”

            “Happy to be of help, Sexy!”

            “We got this,” Bobby announced.  He’d appropriated a rifle and a pistol of his own.  The two old hunters were already at the door, looking determined.

            Blake quickly gave Lawyer Sam’s shoulder a parting squeeze, handed him a pistol he’d picked up, and started inside.

            As soon as they entered the building, Blake knew they had their work cut out for them.  He heard it before he saw it, a low snarl that came from down the hall.  “Oh, fuck me!” he groaned.  “Tell me that isn’t what my gut’s telling me it is?”

            Crowley sighed.  “Werewolf,” he announced.  “Oh, bloody hell!  Gentlemen, it appears that we have made a very serious miscalculation! It seems that I am not the candidate for negotiating with Ketch’s monsters after all.  If anything, I’m the worst possible person for the job!”

            “Why’s that?”

            “Because I am, how did you so quaintly put it?  A sparkly, magical rainbow unicorn?”

            “Oh.”

            “Honey pot!” Matt announced, moving up to start fighting.  “Try to look delicious Crowley, and keep them off of Bobby.  We’ll do the rest!”

            Crowley seemed less than pleased, but there was nothing else to say.  Belatedly, Blake was kicking himself.  He’d just walked into a zoo full of Ketch’s pet monsters with a pair of unicorns. And judging by the screaming woman with razor sharp fangs coming at them now with her eyes flicking hungrily between Bobby and Crowley, their unicorns were every bit as attractive to monsters in Blake’s universe as he himself had been in Unicornland.

            That was the last thing anyone really said for what seemed like an eternity. Blake’s ears rang with shouts and shots. His arm soon ached from using his blade. Vague images stuck out in Blake’s mind, like the werewolf launching itself through the air only to fall back as Rufus and Jesse nailed it with their shotguns at the same time.  At one point, Matt punched a vampire so hard in the mouth that he knocked several of its fangs loose.  And a rugaru, something Blake had never heard of before, proved a difficult fight, leaping undetected to Micky’s back and knocking his holy walking stick out of his hand.  It managed to knock Crowley to the ground before James kicked it in the face and blasted it at short range.  Through it all, the lights led them on.  The battle-weary group followed, trusting in their friend to lead them in the right direction.  And finally, they rounded a corner, and there was Dean.

            Dean was trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, with golden chains wrapped around his body, pinning his limbs.  He was being carried over the shoulder of an irritated-looking man Blake didn’t recognize.  But at this point, Blake was simply out of shits to give.  “Let him go,” Blake ordered, brandishing his blade.

            The man laughed.  Then his eyes changed, and Blake blinked in surprise.  The creature’s eyes weren’t black like the regular demons, or even red like Crowley.  Instead, they were milky white.

            “Get back!” Dean was yelling.  “You can’t fight him!”

            “He’s right!”  Bobby had Blake by the belt and was yanking him back, his arm out as he tried to push the others behind them.  “These white-eyed bastards are tough enough to take on Cass!  We need Sammy!  Where the hell is Crowley?!”

            Suddenly Crowley was there, his arm hooked around an irritated Hunter Sam. The surprised hunter barely had time to register what was happening before the demon raised his hand and blasted all of them with white light.

            It felt like being hit with a wave of gale-force superheated air.  Blake could nearly feel his skin sizzle as he went flying backwards head over heels.  He landed in a sprawl, and suddenly it was over.  Half-dazed, Blake looked up and saw Hunter Sam.  Sammy also had his hand out.  The white light was still there, but it seemed to be retreating as Sammy moved forward.  Step by relentless step, the hunter advanced.

            The demon shook his head.  “Impossible! What _are_ you?!”

            “Let go of my brother!”  Sammy’s hands shot out.  One grabbed the chains wrapped around Dean and jerked him away.  The other shoved hard against the demon’s chest.

            The demon flew backwards with a howl, and Dean tumbled to the ground. Dean hit with a grunt and immediately started struggling.  “Sammy! Stop!”

            Sammy didn’t listen.  He raised a hand.

            The demon screamed.  Blake had already picked himself up, snatched up his blade, and hurried up to help. But when he reached Hunter Sam, he was shocked to see that Sammy’s eyes had gone black.  His lips curled back in a snarl, Sammy twisted his hand.

            The demon screamed again.  His body blazed with light, the outline of his skeleton showing even through his skin. And then he fell to the ground and lay still.

            Blake stared.  “Holy shit, Sammy!  I will never excuse Crowley for what he did to you, but you sure can...  Sammy!”

            Bobby, apparently, had anticipated this.  He was already moving, catching Sammy as the hunter’s knees gave way beneath him.  “He’ll be alright,” Bobby called, lowering a groaning Sammy to the ground.  “Just burned himself out.”

            “He nearly gave himself a stroke when he pulled that shit on the last white-eyed demon we fought!” Dean was yelling.  Rufus had found the key on the demon’s body and was busy freeing Dean from the chains, but Dean was struggling so much to reach his brother that it was making it hard.  “You are done now, do you hear me bitch?!”

            “Shut up, jerk,” Sammy groaned.  “But yeah. I’m all out.”

            “Just relax, Moose,” Crowley advised.  “I’ll get you what you need.”  And with that, he vanished.

            Dean, finally free, jumped up and nearly fell right back down again.  His eyes shone for a moment.  “There are angels out there,” Cassiel announced. “They’re fighting.  I should assist them, but Adam needs help first.” Cassiel’s eyes had returned to their usual green, but his face was so pale every freckle stood out.  He tried again to stand.  Then the archangel’s knees buckled, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

            “The only thing you’re doing is sitting your ass down next to Sammy and catching your breath,” Bobby announced, catching him.  “I’ll stay with them.  Blake, go get your husband.”

            “I will remain with the Prince.”

            Blake blinked at Angel, who had suddenly appeared and moved up to put her hand on Cassiel’s shoulder.  Then he looked at the band to see James raising his hand.  “I called her,” he confessed.  “With Hunter Sam down too and Crowley out scrounging up more blood for him, I figured we needed some help.  The angels are here for Cassiel, so...”  He shrugged.

            “You did well,” Angel told him.  She looked at Blake.  “I will guard the two of them.  Go and save your husband.”

            “I can tell you the way,” Cassiel offered weakly.

            “No need.”  Blake pointed with his blade, indicating the lights.  “We got more than one angel on our shoulders!”

            Leaving Angel to watch over the Winchesters, Blake and his group followed the flashing lights.  But then the lights suddenly stopped.  Puzzled, the group exchanged glances.  “What happened?” James asked.

            “Sam having technical difficulties?” Matt wondered.

            “Whatever it is, I hope he figures it out soon!” Jesse looked hard at the lights, as though willing them to start flashing.  “Come on, Farrar, where are we going now?!”

****

            “Shit, shit, shit!”  Sam Farrar was quickly looking over the controls and switching between screens.  Someone had opened all the doors, releasing the captive monsters.  Now they were running amok, tearing through anyone and anything in their path, including guards and each other.  Sam had no idea who had done it, as the controls had been activated from within the building itself.  But he knew for a fact it hadn’t been the demon with Dean.  The monsters were killing the compound workers left and right, armed or not, with or without provocation.  It was sickening.  Now the creatures were heading for Blake and his friends.  Sam had managed to close some emergency doors, but the monsters were rapidly tearing through them.  And the worst one of all barely paused.  It was on his screen now, smiling as other monsters fled from it in terror.  Sam’s heart pounded.  Alright, think.  He couldn’t stop that thing.  Maybe he could just lead his friends away from it?  But it was between his friends and Adam, and Sam was running out of options. Meanwhile, the line on the computer monitor tracking the file transfer was moving agonizingly slow.

            A yell and a sudden pounding on the door to the control room reminded him that he was also rapidly running out of time. “Shit!”  Making a quick decision, Sam activated the lights, directing his friends around the path of the creature towards Adam.  Then he got up and raced for the door.

            He’d already done what he could to barricade the door, but the determined man outside was slamming his shoulder against it, banging it against his barricade and demanding that Sam let him in. “Yeah, right!” Sam yelled back. “You’re just gonna strap me back into that chair and play doctor with me some more, no thanks!”

            The man yelled again, his voice too muffled by the door to really make out what he was saying.  Sam didn’t care.  He pulled over a file cabinet and managed to shove it in front of the pile to reinforce his barrier.  Then he raced back to the control panel.

            Blake and the others were almost to Adam.  But to Sam’s horror, he saw that, for whatever reason, the monster had shifted its course.  Now it too was heading towards Adam.  Sam saw it glance up at the lights and groaned.  The thing was following the same lights that Sam was using to guide his friends!  In another moment, they’d run right into each other!

            Frantic, Sam brought up the outside speakers and quickly keyed up a song, skipping ahead to the chorus.  Bringing up more lights to guide the way, he quickly pressed play.

****

            _“Send me an angel!  Send me an angel!  Right now! Right now!”_

            “What the hell?” Blake wondered as the music suddenly began blaring from the speakers.  That was all the time he had.  Three more monsters came racing down the hall towards them.  But to Blake’s surprise, they danced away from the fighters and kept going.  All three had looked afraid.

            Everyone looked around, confused.  But Rufus seemed frozen.  “Back!” the agent yelled.  “We gotta go back!”

            “Then go!” Blake ordered.  “I’m not leaving without Adam!”

            “Blake, you don’t understand!” Rufus hissed. “The only thing that would have scared them that much is...!”  His words ended in a startled yelp and he quickly fell back.

            Blake froze, looking behind the man who had just rounded the corner, expecting something akin to Cthulhu himself.  But after a moment, he realized it was the man himself who had caused such terror in the FBI agent.  The man looked fairly ordinary.  He was short, standing only about five-six.  His face was covered with old acne scars.  And he was smiling.  “Hello,” he called.

            Bobby gasped.  “Get back!” he roared, shoving everyone back.  “Blake, we have got to fall back!  If that’s what I think it is, nothing we have can stop this thing!”

            “He’s right!” Rufus agreed.  The agent was wide-eyed and shaking.  “It’s the leviathan, the toughest monster out there! An angel can’t stop this thing!”

            “Oh!”  The monster was pointing at Rufus.  “I remember you!  Yes, I think I’ll eat you first.”

            The monster opened its mouth, and opened it, and opened it, until its entire face was replaced by a massive mouth filled with teeth.  A forked tongue flickered out as it lunged forward, only to fly backwards.

            Hunter Sam had joined them.  Now he was moving in front of them with his hand out. “Go!” he ordered.  “Run!  Now!”

            Already the leviathan was moving forward, taking step after step as its toothy mouth snapped and roared.  Crowley moved up next to Sammy, and it once again slowed. “We can’t hold it!” he yelled.  “Blake, we’ll come back for Adam, but right now you must run!”

            Blake was in agony of indecision.  If he left, it would mean leaving Adam behind with this thing.  How could he do that?

            Then someone pushed past Blake, moving up to join Sammy and Crowley.  Angel’s eyes were already blazing.  The leviathan screamed, and Blake dared to hope.  But then it roared again and was forcing its way forward once more.  Before his eyes, Blake saw the three defenders falter. Crowley dropped to his knees. Sammy swayed, staying upright while being forced to take a step back.  Angel cried out, but held her position.  And the leviathan was on her in a moment, clamping its jaws into her arm. Angel screamed, the blue-white light of her eyes changing to inky black.

            _“No!”_  Blake pulled his archangel blade and was about to charge forward and try stabbing the thing.  But someone else beat him to it.  A bow-legged figure raced up, snatching the weapon from Blake’s hand and plunging the golden blade into the leviathan.

            The monster howled.  Cassiel held to his blade with one hand, using the other to push back the monster’s chest as it released Angel to turn and snap at him. The weakened archangel held on, his eyes blazing as he fought the creature, and Blake dared to hope.  Surely an archangel...!  But Cassiel’s face was still pale.  His legs buckled, dropping him to one knee, and the jaws inched closer to his throat.

            _“Dean!”_  Sammy was back up, his hand held towards the leviathan again.  His body strained with effort, his eyes once more turning demon black as he fought with all he had in him to save his brother.  And Crowley was back as well, his eyes red as he added his own power to the struggle.

            Blake was about to charge forward again when the leviathan let out an ear-splitting scream.  Cracks began to appear in its form, blazing light shining through them. They widened, light spilling out until it was too bright to see.  The leviathan screamed once more.  And then it exploded.

            Blake found himself covered in inky black goo. He swore, rapidly wiping the revolting substance off of his face.  He looked up in time to see Cassiel collapse.

            Hunter Sam was there in an instant, cradling the figure of his brother in his arms despite looking like he was about to collapse himself at any moment.  Crowley, Blake noted, was already on the ground.  And a moment later, Sammy joined him, sliding down the wall until he was seated against it.

            Bobby was at their side.  “Go!” he ordered Blake.  “Take Angel and find Adam!  Angel can use some of his extra Grace to heal.  But my boys need me now.  I’ll stay with them.”

            “I will, too!” Rufus announced.  “You’re gonna need help keeping these monsters off of you, ya unicorn!”  The agent was busy digging through the pockets of the dead demon.  He produced a golden runed key and tossed it at Blake. “Get going, cowboy!  Go save your husband.”

            Blake hesitated. Then he nodded and looked at the band. “All of you need to stay here with Bobby and Rufus,” he announced.  “If that light flashing over that cell up ahead means Adam’s there and he’s really as bad off as I think he is, then Angel and I should be the only ones going in.”

            The band looked unhappy. But then a low growl sounded from down the hall and they immediately moved into position around their fallen friends.  “Go,” Matt called, raising his fists.  “We got this.”

            “Wait!”  It was Hunter Sam.  He seemed to be fighting to keep his eyes open, but he was reaching out, determined, towards Blake.  When Blake took his hand, Sammy squeezed it.  “There’s something I didn’t tell you,” the hunter began.  “I saw you, with Adam.  Adam’s wings were completely white, and he was dying, Blake.  He had all of Cassiel’s Grace and it was too much, it was tearing him apart.  And he was still with you, still himself enough that he told you to go.  But you wouldn’t, Blake.  You wouldn’t let go of Adam.  And when he...  When the Grace inside of him, when he couldn’t...?  Blake, you died.  You _both_ died!”

            Blake heard Cassiel suck in his breath, saw his friends stiffen.  But he only nodded.  “Thanks for the warning, Sammy,” he said, squeezing the hunter’s hand and getting to his feet.  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

            There was nothing more he could do here, and Adam needed him.  Scooping up Angel, Blake started for Adam’s cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said they probably shouldn’t have sent Crowley in on that one. Was proud of himself for guessing it was the leviathan. Smiled when Hunter Sam showed up, because Sammy didn’t have his powers when they fought the leviathans. Hates that the leviathans are so powerful and it took them all to take it down. Thinks Dean and Cassiel are definitely hurting now. Did not like that Angel got slammed, or that Hunter Sam had to burn himself out again. Liked that they are down to the benchwarmers again, and they’re all “Go, we got this.” Thinks whatever is coming is about to get an asswhipping!
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> To date, Sammy's powers have been the only tested method the Winchesters have found that can stand against a white-eyed demon's white light. The show has featured two, and Sammy was able to defeat both, but at great cost to himself!


	27. Fire and Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake frees Adam, but things don't go as planned. Sam Farrar's time is running out. Lawyer Sam is offered an unexpected choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs Farrar was playing from the last chapter were as follows:
> 
> "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns 'N Roses:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABFKsxVh94&frags=pl%2Cwn
> 
> "Send Me An Angel" by Real Life:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07IDakz5Sww&frags=pl%2Cwn
> 
> Song in this chapter is "Help Me Rhonda: by the Beach Boys  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPnBrK6D26g&frags=pl%2Cwn

            Blake could hear Adam well before he approached the cell.  His Rockstar was screaming to be released.  When he opened the cell door and saw Adam for the first time, he felt physically sick.  He’d been trying to keep Dean’s warning in mind, that Adam’s body was starting to break down.  But seeing it, seeing the sores on that lovely face, the light snaking under his skin and blazing from his eyes, was still a shock.  “Oh, baby,” he groaned.  “Oh Adam, I’m sorry!”

            “Get me loose!” Adam shrieked.  “Let me out!” His Grace-filled eyes locked on Angel. “An angel!  Give her to me, please!”

            Blake quickly brought her over, holding her up so that Adam could reach her. Adam immediately latched on, kissing her.  To Blake’s relief, the snakes of Grace running under his skin faded, even as Angel began to glow.  The terrible wound on her arm healed and she gasped.  Her eyes were alight again, looking wildly around.  Then she pried herself free from Adam.

            “Not enough, it’s not enough!” Adam cried.  “Please, take this out of me!”

            She eyed him, tilting her head to one side.  “The Grace inside of you is as foreign to me as it is to you,” she told him clinically.  “I cannot help you.  Prince Cassiel himself couldn’t help you, not without removing his own Grace.  Castiel is your only hope.”

            “Then bring him to me!” Adam howled.  “Please, I need my angel, let me go!”

            “I can be of no further assistance,” Angel told Blake.  “I will return to my Prince.  Good luck.”

            Blake nodded, not trusting himself to speak as she vanished.  He moved closer to Adam and Adam immediately tried to kiss him.  Blake turned his hat around to get the bill out of the way and obliged, bending down to kiss Adam.  The instant their lips met, something like liquid electrical fire began flowing into his mouth.  Blake coughed and quickly drew back, suddenly grateful he’d tried that bit of stupidity before he’d let Adam loose.  “I can’t take it from you, Adam,” he called.

            “Then let me go!  Let me _go!”_

            Blake nodded.  He pulled out the key that they’d gotten from the white-eyed demon and quickly began unlocking the chains.  “There’s a whole bunch of monsters and demons running around,” he said.  “And Cassiel’s down the hall.  We haven’t found Castiel yet, but we will.  Soon as we get outside, you unleash holy hell on those demons and any monsters that attack us, ya hear?”

            “Help me, Blake!” Adam pleaded.  Only one chain remained now, locked on Adam’s right wrist, and he was struggling wildly against it.  “Please let me go!”

            “I got you, Rockstar,” Blake soothed.  “Just remember, there’s one hell of a lot of demons outside.”

            “Demons?  Outside?”

            “Lots of ‘em.”  Blake got behind Adam, got his arms around his husband, and carefully unlocked the chain. “You should go outside after...”

            He never got to finish.  In his arms, Adam blazed like a man-shaped sun, the pent-up Grace filling the room. Every one of Blake’s nerves sizzled. Still he hung on, picking Adam up, intent on racing for the door.

            Adam, apparently, wasn’t willing to wait.  He squirmed in Blake’s arms, climbing up so that he could unfurl his wings, and a moment later they were outside.  To Blake’s dismay, there were only a few scattered feathers left that were still black.  Then he gasped.  “Wait! You passed Cassiel!  Adam, you gotta...”

            Adam wasn’t listening.  He’d spotted the demons, and gave a relieved sigh.  Then once again, the light blazed.

            Blake, still holding his drastically-altered husband in his arms, could feel it.  An immense wave of power flashed out from Adam and went crashing across the compound. The cloud of demons had divided itself into multiple parts that still swirled and churned across the sky.  Adam was aiming for one of those.  Light flashed, preternatural screams filled the air, and suddenly the sky was filled with fire, the light of Adam’s Grace instantly igniting the demonic cloud, turning it into a raging fireball surrounding a nimbus of light.

            But Adam, desperate to rid himself of as much power as possible, had done little to focus his attack.  It completely demolished the D building, smashing through it like a foot through a sandcastle, scattering cement and metal, glass and furniture, and too many objects Blake tried not to look too hard at, objects that screamed as they flew. Something next to the building exploded with a roar, sending a pillar of smoke and flame up into the air.  There was a shower of sparks as the electrical lines were torn away.  And then the entire compound went dark.

****

            Sam Farrar breathed a sigh of relief.  His nerves were shot, but it seemed things were working out.  The file transfer was finished.  Dean was free, and Blake was already on his way to save Adam. Alright.  He switched through his monitors, flashing the lights to lead his friends out of C building.  The worst was over.  Now all he had to do was get them to help him and Castiel, and they could all go home. But two more guards had joined the first at his door, and they were making an alarming amount of headway on his barricade.  Sam focused on his breathing, trying to control his panic as he keyed up another song. The chorus of “Help Me Rhonda” by the Beach Boys began to play as Sam turned on all the lights outside of his building.  He switched off the interior lights except for the ones leading a direct trail to his location.  There. As soon as they were out, Blake and his friends would be coming.  Surely they could help him before the men about to break into his room hurt him too much. All he had to do was hold on and show them the way.

            Adam suddenly appeared in the middle of the compound, with Blake hanging onto him like a stubborn tick.  There was an explosion, and the back-up generator went up in flames.  Then the main power lines were gone as well, and everything went dark.

            Sam blinked.  Now he was staring at a useless set of controls, trapped inside of a poorly-lit room with only one exit and three furious, swearing men forcing their way inside after him.  “Oooooh,” he moaned.  “This is not good!”

            Then, the three men suddenly stopped.  They stared down the hall, their eyes wide in terror.  And a moment later, something was on them.  Sam froze, staring in horror as the men went down. He flinched when blood hit the glass, and that broke him from his panic.  Frantic, he looked around, searching frantically for a weapon.  All he could find was a letter opener.  He grabbed it, brandishing it like a knife, and turned to face the door.

            A woman’s face was at the window.  She scratched her nails down the window, revealing the marks of restraints.  She hissed, opening a mouth full of sharp teeth.

            Sam backed away, holding the letter opener out in front of himself with shaking hands.  A man appeared behind her, this one with what looked like some sort of mechanical eye. Then two more were in the window. Every one of them bore tell-tale marks Sam understood all too well.  Apparently, this building had been working with a nest of vampires.  With the power down, the other research subjects in the lab had apparently broken free.  Now they were here, looking hungrily at Sam.

            Sam swallowed hard.  Where were his friends?

****

            The explosion shook the compound, and Sam Winchester and his wife looked up in alarm when the lights went out.  From within the building, more howls, screeches, and screams were sounding. Then the door opened and the haggard members of Maroon 5 appeared, led by Angel.   Bobby and Jesse were assisting Dean, and Sam’s heart skipped a beat when he saw how pale his brother’s face appeared, how drawn and somehow drained Dean looked.

            “We’re almost out of ammo, both the rock salt and the regular,” James said quietly. “We can’t last much longer!”

            “My prince, we must go,” Angel urged.  “My people will guard your retreat.”

            They’d set Dean, with Cassiel apparently in charge at the moment, down next to Sam.  But Cassiel’s eyes were fierce.  “I’m not leaving,” he announced.  “There’s no point in it.  I’ll stay, do what I can to...  Ugh!”

            Another explosion sounded across the compound, smoke and debris and bits of what appeared to be trees filling the air only to rain back down again.

            “It’s Adam, isn’t it?” Jesse moaned.  “He’s gone insane, blasting everything, and every time he does, Cassiel loses more and more!”

            James had pulled out his two-way radio, but Cassiel put out a hand to stop him. “It’s too late,” he said.  “I can’t stay in this vessel much longer.”

            “But we can’t just leave!” Mickey exclaimed.  “Castiel’s still out there, Blake must still be with Adam, and we still haven’t found Sam Farrar!  We can’t just leave them behind!”

            “I will do for them what I can,” Cassiel announced.  “No one can ask anything more of you.  Take your wounded and go.  My sister will escort you out before she helps the others finish their fight.”  The green eyes rested on Sam.  “Sam, will you stay?  Your brother wishes a word in private.  But the rest of you, I wish only to see that you are safe.  Please.  Go!”

            “Come on, boys.”  Bobby’s voice was gruff.  “Let the man have his wish.”

            No one needed to point out that it was probably the dying archangel’s last wish. Sam swallowed around a lump in his throat and sank back to the ground next to Cassiel.  The archangel nodded to Angel, who nodded back and quickly healed Sam. Then she was moving, helping the group carry Sammy and Crowley out of the compound.

            Sam took Cassiel’s hand.  “I’m here, Dean,” he called.

            His brother smiled out at him.  Dean looked awful.  His face was greyish, the green eyes glazed.  Apparently, his emotion showed in his face, because Dean chuckled.  “Do I really look that bad?”

            “Dean, you can’t keep this up!” Sam urged him.  “Cassiel’s dying, and you gotta let him out!”

            “That four-faced nerd isn’t done yet!”  Dean’s eyes seemed to clear, and focused on Sam.  His face morphed into a soft smile.  One hand came up and gently lifted a lock of the lawyer’s hair.  “Speaking of nerds, I see you still haven’t figured out how to cut your own hair.  You must spend a fortune on haircare products!”

            Sam blinked.  “Dean, are you alright?”

            “I’ve been better.”  Dean took a deep breath, looking down at his hands.  “Awesome!  Been a while since I had skin, you know?”

            That was the point where Sam forgot how to breathe.  He froze, staring hard at the green-eyed man smiling back at him. “What?” the man asked.  “Sammy, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

            “D-Dean?” Sam managed.  “I mean, are you my...?”

            “Yup!  Cassiel said your brother wanted to talk to you.  Here I am!” Dean suddenly grimaced and swayed, clinging to Sam’s shoulder for support.  “Sammy, listen.  I’m kind of propping Cassiel’s big ass up right now, but he can’t take much more of this, and I won’t last long at the rate Adam’s going.  Only reason I can do this at all is because we’re soulmates! Other Dean’s been doing the job for a while now, but he’s about ready to drop.  I can’t do anything more for him except get the hell out of Dodge.  But without a vessel, we can’t help.  And by the looks of things, you guys kind of still need our help!”

            Sam nodded.  “Yeah, we still have people missing.  But what can I do?”

            “Same thing I’m doing now.”  The green eyes locked with Sam’s, suddenly serious.  “Sammy, if you let us in, let me latch onto you the way Cass is with me? With two soulmate bonds, my archangel will have a little more time!”  He rolled his eyes.  “Other Me is throwing a fit about it, and yeah, he’s got a point that you got a wife and kids.  But it’s your choice, Sammy.  It’s going to be dangerous as Hell, especially with Adam still out there fighting. He gives us too much of a wallop and we all get blasted!  But you’re a grown man, little brother.  God knows you picked my sorry drunk ass out of a gutter enough times to prove that, and I never got to thank you for finally making the toughest choice of all. You’re the reason I sobered up, the reason I became a hunter...”

            “The reason you died!” Sam accused.

            The green eyes grew soft.  “That was my choice.  Now you can make your own choice.  So you make this one.”  Dean grinned that familiar, cocky grin.  “You wanna do something outrageously stupid and dangerous?”

            Sam never hesitated.  “Yes! Let’s go, Dean!”

            Dean nodded.  Then his eyes rolled back, and a moment later, Sam’s world was filled with light.

            Dean dropped to the ground, panting.  His head was spinning, the strain of supporting the archangel still affecting him.  But for the first time in weeks, he knew he was alone.  Horrified, he looked up.

            Lawyer Sam was smiling down at him, grinning.  “Hey, good-looking!  You ok?”

            It was bizarre.  It was Sam’s face, Sam’s voice, but somehow, the eyes looking down at Dean were Dean’s own. He accepted the offered hand and got up. “I still got some fight in me. But what about you?  I thought Cassiel was pretty much done!”

            As though to refute this, the green eyes suddenly glowed.  “All of his power is still here, even though he’s dying,” Ghost Dean explained.  “I can use it while Sammy holds us both up.  We won’t last long, but we can still kick some ass.”  He lowered his head, looking serious.  “And don’t worry.  If it starts getting bad, Cass and I will be out of here.  Got it?”

            “You better, Casper!” Dean warned.  “You stupid bastard, I cannot believe you did this!  How could you risk Sam?!  If anything happens to him, I will never forgive you!”

            Ghost Dean bristled.  His fists clenched.  “You always were a loser, a shit brother and a lousy son!” he snarled.  “The best thing in your life was your little brother, and I just saw him running around with demon powers!  You had one job, to protect Sammy!  How badly did you fuck it up, that you let that happen?!”

            Dean was immediately in his counterpart’s face.  “You want to talk, dickhead?!  Your Sammy’s a successful lawyer, but he fell all to pieces when he got his hands on me because he thought you basically drank yourself to death! What kind of asshole are you, that he had no problem believing that?!”

            “I’m you,” Ghost Dean told him.  _“And I despise you!”_

            For a moment, Dean simply stared at him, glaring up into the eyes of the one person he hated more than anyone else in this or any other universe.  And then the familiar feeling of serenity washed over him. Dean closed his eyes and bowed his head, putting his hand on Ghost Dean’s chest.  “Sorry, Cassiel,” he called.

            “Yeah, me, too,” Ghost Dean sighed.  He clamped a hand on Dean’s shoulder.  “You ready for a fight, meatbag?  Or are you just gonna stand there all day?”

            Dean took a deep breath and nodded as well.  “Alright.  Let’s kick some ass.”

****

            When PJ joined them, looking every bit as wild-eyed, sweaty and dirty as the rest of the band, Maroon 5 was back together except for two members.  They all looked simultaneously terrified, exhausted, and shellshocked.  It was a look they’d only ever seen in pictures, survivors of catastrophes or soldiers returning from the battlefield.  They all knew they’d never be the same after this.  Even as they helped lie Sammy and Crowley down, they were exchanging looks. And finally Matt said what they were all thinking.

            “I’m going back in,” he announced.  “I can’t leave them in there.”

            “Think about what you’re saying,” Rufus warned.  “That back there is a mess even for experienced hunters!”

            “And we’re the benchwarmers, we get it!” Mickey snapped.  “But Matt’s right.  Those are our friends in there!  Matt, I’m with you.”

            “Do we even know where to look?” PJ asked.  He pointed back at the compound with his angel blade.  “That is a lot of buildings back there!  I know because I was running around them, stabbing black smoke like it’s my job, and I gotta tell you, the next time I lie down I may not get back up again for a week or longer!  If we had Hunter Sam’s psychic stuff we’d have a chance, but just a bunch of assholes and one pretty lady running around?”

            “The gap!” Jesse recalled, snapping his fingers.  “Sam Farrar told me that Davis said something about the gap, ‘Wait until I get you to the gap,’ when he was tying Sam up in the truck.  Sam thought it had something to do with where he was taking him.”

            “The gap?”  Jess narrowed her eyes, looking back at the compound.  “I don’t get it.”

            But Bobby did.  “There!” he exclaimed, pointing.  “Right there, the smaller building with an F on it, past the zoo?  I can’t see so well close up without my glasses, but there ain’t nothing wrong with my distance vision!  Doesn’t that say ‘Gerald Arthur Poindexter’?  G.A.P!”

            Faces brightened.  “Good a place to look as any!” Matt called.  “Nice work, Bobby!”

            Jess gasped.  “Sam!”

            Before anyone could stop her, she was charging out into the courtyard, intent on the tall figure walking out.  The others quickly followed her – in time to learn that someway, somehow, this was Ghost Dean, with Cassiel, borrowing Lawyer Sam’s body.  Hunter Dean had arrived during his counterpart’s quick explanation and learned about the building where they thought Sam Farrar might be.

            “If Farrar’s there, then maybe Castiel is, too!” Dean called, excited. He looked up at Ghost Dean. “Think you’re up to checking it out?”

            Ghost Dean nodded.  His eyes were roving over the group.  Then he jerked his head towards the building.  “There’s a lot of activity in there,” he announced.  “Might get a little rough.”

            “You got back-up!” Mickey announced, raising his weapon.  The rest of the band cheered.

            “I’ll stay with Sammy and Crowley,” Jess said.  “They’re both still unconscious.”

            “Great,” Hunter Dean agreed.  “If anyone comes after you, just throw Crowley at them.  I’m going in there!”

            “Dean, you are in no condition to fight!” Bobby protested.

            “I’m fine!” both versions of Dean immediately snapped.  Ghost Dean raised a hand to quiet Hunter Dean, and looked at Bobby. “My archangel, he can’t last, alright? He knows that.  Sammy and I are the only thing keeping him standing right now. And this is what he wants to do.” He grimaced and swayed slightly. From somewhere well up on the large hill behind the compound, something exploded, sending more debris into the air.

            “And that’s why I’m going with them,” Hunter Dam announced.  “I can’t leave Cassiel alone!”

            “He won’t be,” Ghost Dean assured.  “Cass will never be alone again.”  Ghost Dean was still looking at Bobby.  His lips curled into a soft smile.  “It’s good to see you again, old man,” he said quietly.

            Bobby cleared his throat.  “Hold on,” he called gruffly.  “You two boys are barely able to keep standing.  You’re not going to be able to fight through all that mess on your own. But I can help you with that. What you said, about throwing Crowley at them?  While we can’t do that, as much as I might like to most of the time, he’s pretty far from the only unicorn we got, isn’t he?”

            Matt frowned.  “Bobby, if you’re about to do something stupid...?”

            Bobby’s reply was to grab the archangel blade still in Dean’s hand and abruptly slide his hand down the blade, hissing as it sliced his hand. Then he grinned.  Turning, he charged forward, waving his bloody hand above his head.  _“Hey!”_ he bellowed in his best drill sergeant voice.  _“Look at me, ya sons of bitches!”_

            It worked.  All around them, monsters were turning, starting towards Bobby.  Rufus and Matt were immediately after him, both cursing like sailors.  “Well,” James noted, “that seems to have gotten the attention of half the compound.”

            “Looks like the bench warmers are back in the playoffs,” Mickey agreed, raising his weapon.

            Jesse grinned at the shocked forms of Ghost Dean and Hunter Dean as both stared, frozen, after their clearly-insane friend.  “Good luck, guys!  Tell Castiel hello for us, and tell Sam Farrar to quit playing with the lights and get his ass out here or we’re cutting his pay!”

            “Don’t push yourself too hard, you hear me, angel?”  PJ was looking intently into Ghost Dean’s eyes.  “You’re not done yet!  You come back to us!”

            The green eyes softened for a moment as Cassiel smiled down at the keyboardist. Then Ghost Dean was back in charge as PJ raced after his friends and into the fight.  He nodded at Hunter Dean.  “Let’s go, fleshwad,” he called.

            “Lead the way, poltergeist!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun loved the conversation between Dean and Ghost Dean. No one hates Dean more than Dean. Thought Adam going all full Grace was awesome and it was about time. Liked that Blake was trying to be the hero and save Adam, and ended up just getting dragged along. Thought the monsters going after Sam Farrar were cool, but doesn’t think they’re going to eat him because there’s a superpowered Adam out there that’s about to blast everyone. Agrees with throwing Crowley at them.


	28. Archangel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassiel's time is running out as Ghost Dean and Hunter Dean try to save Sam Farrar and Castiel. Hunter Sam's vision haunts Blake as Adam's situation becomes desperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - very rough chapter ahead!
> 
> Song I used for a good portion of it as I was writing is "This War Is Over" by Melissa Etheridge  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSOPkhe67Vo&frags=pl%2Cwn

            Sam Farrar knew he was going to die.  The vampires were closing in on him now, laughing and calling for him.  It didn’t seem fair.  For him to have come so far, just to die here now, like this? Well, he told himself, at least he’d been able to help everyone else.  If this was how it ended, Sam supposed he’d at least done one last bit of good before the end.  He crouched beneath a desk, his eyes fixed on his wedding ring.  It was all he had to remind him of his family.  He kissed it.  Then his hand moved to touch his amulet.  _I did everything I could to help, Chuck,_ he prayed.  _If you’re gonna take me now, I hope you take that into consideration.  Please watch over my family!_

            Footsteps.  Someone was coming into the office where Sam was hiding.  “Where are you, little boy?” the monster singsonged.  “I can smell you, you know!  Aww, that’s cute.  You’re under the desk!”

            Sam couldn’t hold back a whimper of panic.  He bolted from his hiding place, dodged the vampire’s grabbing hand, and ran – straight into the hands of two more vampires.

            “Why does he smell so delicious?”

            “They probably experimented on him, just like they did us.”

            “Maybe he’s extra juicy!”

            They’d taken his letter opener.  He’d never even gotten a chance to use it.  It was over. Sam screamed and kicked, struggling with all his strength.  But their strength was impossible, easily dragging him back and throwing him onto the desk, pinning him down to it.  Sharp fangs came closer.  His grasping hand found a coffee cup and smashed it against the fangs.  The vampire swore and drew back, her hand going to her face.  Then she roughly grabbed his chin, forcing his head back to expose his throat.  She leaned back over and grinned.  “Game over!”

            “Hey, I got a game for you!  It’s called ‘Blast Count Chocula Into A Pile Of Ashes!’  Wanna play?”

            It wasn’t Dean’s voice, but somehow, when Sam looked and saw Sam Winchester, the cocky grin on his face could only be Dean’s.  Then the green eyes were full of light.  Wings opened from his back, but what was this?  The wings were black, but it wasn’t like Adam’s wings had been. These seemed to be rotting, bits of feathers hanging limply off.  The wings looked dead and gangrenous, but the light that blazed from the man’s body was anything but.  The vampires around Sam screamed, light pouring from their eyes and mouth before they toppled to the floor.

            Stunned, Sam got up.  “Who are you?”

            “Long story.”  The man was leaning on the doorway, looking a bit dazed.

            Sam heard yelling from down the hall, and looked to see Dean, running as fast as his bowed legs could carry him.  Apparently, he and Cassiel had done some fighting on the way in.  Dean had a cut on his brow that he ignored completely, despite the blood running down the side of his face.  “Farrar!” he called, clambering over the remains of the barricade. “Where’s Castiel?  Have you seen my angel?”

            “Yes!  I got him loose, but I couldn’t bring him around.  Then when I started trying to help everyone, I knew it would bring the guards here.  So I hid him, somewhere he’d be safe!”  He ran out into the hall and pointed.  “He’s this way!”

****

            Dean never ran so fast as he ran towards the still figure lying on the floor in the storage closet.  Sam Farrar had done what he could to protect his angel, with a devil’s trap hastily drawn in front of the door and a line of salt blocking it.  He’d even covered Cass with what looked like a dingy lab coat. But Cass’s eyes were closed, and he was still, so still.  Dean screamed for him, grabbed his arms and sat him up.  “Cass!  _Cass!_   Wake up, angel!”

            Cass groaned.  “D-Dean? Is that really you?”

            “Yes!  Yes, it’s me!”  Dean held him tightly against his chest, covering his face and hair with kisses. “Oh, angel, what have they done to you?!”

            “They’ve been drugging him,” Farrar explained gently.  He was eyeing Ghost Dean/Lawyer Sam/Cassiel.  “I couldn’t wake him up either, which was why I just tried to hide him and lead anyone who might come after him away.”

            “You did damned good, Farrar.”  Dean didn’t care who that insulted.  He smoothed Cass’s hair back.  His angel looked awful.  There was dried blood on one of his arms where it looked like Farrar had pulled out an IV.  When the blue eyes finally blinked open and looked at him, at first they didn’t seem to be able to focus.  But then Cass smiled, and Dean crushed his angel tightly against his chest.  “Oh, Cass, hang on, I’m getting you out of here!”

            Dean had just been about to maneuver Cass into a position where he could pick him up in a fireman’s carry when Ghost Dean groaned, swayed, and then dropped to his hands and knees.

            “Shit!” Dean yelled.  He let his angel back down and raced to his archangel.  “Dean, or whoever else can answer me, you guys alright?”

            “No.”  The green eyes looked grave.  “Dean, we’re spent.  Look after the bitch for me, would you?”

            “Just get out of Lawyer Sam and go take a knee, somewhere away from the action so you can recover,” Dean ordered.  “Farrar, you need to find Adam and tell him to knock it off!”

            But Farrar didn’t move.  His blue eyes were solemn.  “Dean? You know he’s not going to recover, even if Adam stops.  His wings, they’re already rotting away!  Cassiel’s dying, Dean!”

            Dean stilled.  The idea that his archangel, that this kind, gentle creature that Dean had come to understand he could love just as he did his own angel, could die had always been present at the back of his mind.  But even when he’d felt Cassiel falter just before Ghost Dean had sprung free and moved them to Lawyer Sam, Dean hadn’t really faced that fact.  He shook his head and clung to the archangel’s arm. “No way, dude!  Cassiel, hang on, we’ll figure something out!  Dean, you dead bastard, do something!”

            “Dean?”  It was the archangel speaking now, Dean realized.  “It’s over.”

            “Wait!” Farrar protested.  “What about Adam?  Cassiel, if you die, what happens to Adam?  He’s already falling apart!  If he gets all of your power, it will tear him completely apart!”

            Cassiel nodded.  “Normally, yes.  Adam wouldn’t last long with the full power of an archangel inside of him, and my brother is in no condition to help him now.  But there’s one more thing I can do to help all of you before I go.”  He frowned at Dean.  “Your counterpart is every bit as stubborn as you are! Alright, then.  As you wish.”

            Cassiel abruptly threw back his head and exhaled.  Something like a glowing mist rose from his mouth to sink towards Castiel, vanishing into the angel’s slightly-opened mouth as he breathed in.

            Castiel gasped, his eyes flying open.  They glowed brightly.  Dean quickly moved back.  “Farrar, get down!” he yelled.  He yanked on Farrar’s arm, dragging the musician to the floor.  Then Dean threw himself over him and Lawyer Sam.

            The angel’s entire body began to glow.  A mighty wind raced through the room.  Overhead, the lights shattered.  The building shook.  Dean dared to peek and saw his angel hovering in the air, still glowing brightly.  Then a pair of massive white wings arched from his back as his body vanished in blinding light, forcing Dean to cover his face.

            Suddenly, the light was gone.  “Dean.”

            Dean looked.  There he was, his nerdy angel, trench coat, loose tie, messy hair and all.  Those blue eyes were looking at him, and for a moment, nothing else in the world mattered except grabbing Cass and just holding him, holding him, kissing him over and over.  “Cass!” he groaned.  “Oh angel, you’re alright!”

            “I am anything but alright!” Castiel exclaimed.  “Dean, what have I done?!  I thought it was you, and I...!”

            Dean was at his side in an instant.  “It’s alright,” he soothed.  “We’re here, and we’re getting everyone out!”

            “Dean!”

            It was Farrar.  He was kneeling next to a dazed-looking Lawyer Sam and was pointing, wide-eyed, to a space above Dean’s head.

            A faintly-glowing nimbus shimmered in the air.  Dean recognized it.  It was precisely what he’d seen outside his window on the night Cassiel had first come to him, but it wasn’t alone.  A much smaller orb of light was with it, seeming tangled up with the nimbus form of the angel.  Dean frowned. “Cassiel?” he called.  He reached frantically for the light.  _“Cass!”_

            “Dean!”  Castiel was looking up, his blue eyes wide up in shock.

            Dean didn’t understand.  He didn’t want to understand.  All he knew was that, deep inside of him, something felt like it was tearing apart. And when the last faint glow faded away, it felt as if that something was ripped out of him, leaving an empty, jagged wound.  He screamed, hearing his scream oddly echoed in two other voices as Castiel’s arms wrapped around him, painfully tight.  Someone else barreled into him, grabbed him, squeezing out what was left of his air. But all of it seemed somehow distant. He couldn’t stop screaming, couldn’t stop calling Cass’s name again and again, even though he knew his angel was right there.  But he wasn’t, Cass was gone, his archangel was gone, and nothing would ever be the same, would ever be _right_ again.  All around him, the world was going dark, as if Heaven itself mourned the loss of its prince.  And over and over, the words _not again not again_ echoed in his mind.

            “Dean?  Dean!”

            The darkness he’d been seeing was lifting as oxygen returned to his lungs. Oh.  He’d passed out.  Consequence of being nearly crushed to death by a devastated angel and your giant brother from another dimension.  But Sam Farrar had pried them both off and was slapping at Dean’s cheeks, trying to bring him around.

            As soon as Dean’s eyes were open, Farrar promptly ignored him.  He turned to Castiel.  “I cannot imagine what any of you are feeling right now,” he announced. “I get that we just lost both Cassiel and Ghost Dean...”

            _Ghost Dean?_   Dean sucked in his breath.  So that was what that second light had been.  Ghost Dean had gone with his archangel.  Well, that didn’t surprise Dean one bit.  He had no doubt he would have done the same.  Even looking at Castiel kneeling right in front of him, the pain of losing Cassiel was almost overwhelming.  He couldn’t bring himself to let go of Cass’s arm.  It made sense now why Cass and Lawyer Sam had gone for Dean, held him so tightly that they’d accidentally smothered him, and were still holding to him now.  Deep inside, part of Dean was still screaming for his archangel.  He wondered if he’d ever stop.

            But Farrar was still talking, urging Castiel to do something, what was it? Oh.  Adam.  “Cassiel gave you his power so you could save Adam!” the musician was urging.  “There’s something wrong, I can see it written all over your face, but now you can fly again, right?  You can get out there to him, even with all the shit that’s outside now? Then go!  _Go!”_

            His angel still looked stricken.  His face was pale, his blue eyes like saucers.  But he nodded.  He let Dean go with obvious reluctance.  Dean forced himself to let go as well, and handed him the golden archangel blade.  Cass took it, tilted his head and frowned at it for a moment before nodding again.  There was a familiar fluttering sound, and Cass was gone.

            Dean had a moment to bitterly regret the loss of angel flight.  All he wanted was to stay with Cass, to keep as close as possible to his angel until he could finally convince himself that yes, he’d lost his beloved archangel, and it would never ever be right again, but Castiel was still here, still with Dean.

            Then he felt a pair of strong arms tightened around him, pulling him close against a broad chest, and warm liquid began to soak into his hair.  Dean turned, looked into the sorrow-filled eyes of Lawyer Sam and winced.  “Oh, fuck me,” he groaned.  “I’m such a selfish bastard!  Sam, you just lost your brother again!”

            The lawyer whimpered, his green eyes flooding with tears that ran unchecked down his cheeks.  Dean twisted around and pulled him into a hug.  Guilt rose, threatening to even drown the pain of his own loss.  He held tightly to his brother.  “I’m here, Sammy,” he soothed, gently rocking the lawyer. “I’m so, so sorry!”

            “S-Sammy,” the lawyer hiccupped.  “Your brother!  H-he needs to see you, to know that you...  That you’re not...”

            “Come on, guys,” Farrar urged.  He’d picked up something off of the ground and tucked it into his pocket.  Then he grabbed the two of them by the hand and started physically pulling them up until they got to their feet and started moving. And a moment later, they were running out of the compound.

            Sammy looked horrible.  He was lying on the ground on his side, curled up into a ball with his head pillowed on Jess’s lap.  Jess was holding him tightly, rocking and frantically trying to soothe him.  She brightened when she saw Dean.  “Dean!” she exclaimed.  “We thought you...?”

            Dean ran to his brother and gathered him up.  “I’m sorry, Sammy,” he called.  “It wasn’t me, it was Ghost Dean.  He stayed with Cassiel when he...  When...  My archangel! Oh, Cass!”

            He had no idea when Lawyer Sam and Jess had joined them, but suddenly all four of them were having the chick flick moment of all chick flick moments, a tearful four-way group hug.  Dean could barely bring himself to be embarrassed about it when he finally pulled free and wiped at his face.

            “Dean?”  Jess was frowning at him.  “What are you doing?”

            “What I should have done one hell of a long time ago,” Dean snarled.  Old habits die hard.  Already, his pain was being pushed aside, morphing rapidly into the one emotion Dean Winchester was most suited to handle.  White-hot rage flowed through him, giving him strength that denied the deep bone-numbing exhaustion he still felt from supporting his archangel.  He reached down, retrieved the pistol from Sammy’s belt, and shoved it into his own. Then he gave the three a chilling smile. “I,” he announced, “am going to kill Arthur Ketch!”

****

            “Adam!” Blake pleaded.  “Adam, baby, you’ve got to stop!”

            “I can’t, Blake!” Adam gasped.  “I can’t! It’s just too much!”

            Blake felt sick.  Cassiel, he realized, must have died.  And now Adam had all the power.  Adam was obviously in a lot of pain.  The damage to his body was visibly worse, and even though he was smashing through trees and tearing down the hills and outlying structures in his path as he’d chased after the demons, his eyes were weeping tears of glowing Grace.  By now, they were so far from the compound that it was difficult to make out the details of the figures he could see still moving in it. Blake had done all he could, tried to reach Adam, bring him back.  But there had been no stopping him.  Adam had been blinded by the overload of power, desperate to release it, and not even Blake could reach him.  In the end, all Blake had been able to do was to hold him with all his strength, ignoring the chaos as Adam’s power raged out of control and refusing to let go.

            But now, it seemed, Adam had reached his limit, and his fight had turned inward. He was doubled over in Blake’s arms, fists and teeth clenched as he tried desperately to control the power that was burning him up inside.  His wings were out as he dangled, shaking with exertion and snowy white.  The last of the black feathers had already changed over some time back.  But Adam was here, Adam at last, looking up at Blake with all the love he’d always had. “Blake,” he whispered.  “Let me go.”

            “Never!”

            A shaking hand moved to Blake’s cheek.  A moment ago, Adam’s angel strength was enough to tear trees right out of the ground.  But now all of his strength was directed inward, trying desperately just to stay alive. “Let me go,” Adam whispered again. “You’ve got to get away from me!  I can’t hold it, Blake!  It’s gonna tear me apart, and if you’re here...?”

_“I saw you, with Adam.  Adam’s wings were completely white, and he was dying, Blake.  He had all of Cassiel’s Grace and it was too much, it was tearing him apart.  And he was still with you, still himself enough that he told you to go.  But you wouldn’t, Blake.  You wouldn’t let go of Adam.  And when he...  When the Grace inside of him, when he couldn’t...?  Blake, you died.  You both died!”_

            Hunter Sam was a psychic.  He’d seen a vision, Blake knew that now.  And that vision was about to come true.  But Blake did not care.  “Listen to me,” Blake snarled, tightening his grip.  “I will _never_ let go of you!  I will not leave you to suffer like this on your own, and if that means the end for us both, then so be it!  You hold on, Rockstar, for as long as you can.  But I will not leave you!”

            Adam whimpered.  His hand dropped, fell limply to dangle as Adam’s blazing eyes closed.  He gave a little cry, his body tensing in Blake’s arms.

            Desperate, Blake looked around.  Somewhere, too far away, the others were racing around, shouting as they dispatched the last of the attacking monsters.  Had they found Cass?  Where the hell was Dean’s angel?  _“Castiel!”_ he thought desperately.  _“Adam’s in trouble!  I don’t know if you can hear me without your powers, but we’re up on the hill.  Just follow the path of uprooted trees! Please, Cass, you gotta help him!”_

            Cass wouldn’t hear him.  Adam had all of his power now.  And even if he could somehow hear, what could the angel do?  There was no way Cass was going to reach them in time.  With no powers, he’d have to walk through all the chaos Adam had left in his wake, through what was left of the monsters and the demons, and up the side of the hill, and Adam couldn’t last.

            Blake crushed Adam to his chest, rested his cheek against his husband’s, and closed his eyes.  “I love you, Rockstar!”

            “I love you too, Big Country!”

            This was it.  Adam cried out, his body straining and shaking as it began to glow.  Blake held him, whispering “I love you” over and over.

            “Adam!”

            Blake tore his attention away from his husband and saw the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen in his life.  The angel was here.  His eyes were full of light as he reached for Adam.  Even then, Blake couldn’t give him up.  He held on, shaking his head when the angel cocked an eyebrow at him.  “Not a chance!  Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right here and now!”

            The angel shot him a look.  “Blake, you will not care for what I have to do!” he warned.

            “Do it!” Blake roared.  “Whatever you’re going to do, for God’s sake, do it!  Just fucking help him!”

            Cass seemed to wince.  He nodded, stepped forward, and took Adam’s face between his hands.  Then he was kissing Adam, right there in the middle of everything as the rock star dangled from his husband’s arms.  Blake chuckled.  Of course. Poor Cass had no way to know just how many times Adam had done this to lose some of his extra Grace, and probably thought Blake would be furious.  He took a moment to reflect on just how Dean was going to explain it.  But right now, it didn’t matter.  He’d never imagined he’d be so happy to see his husband kissing another man.  Adam’s hands were clutching at the angel’s shoulders, pulling Cass tight against him and clinging to the angel as if he was drowning.

            It was working.  The light that blazed around Adam’s body was dimming, his wings folding back and vanishing even as Cass glowed brighter.  White wings opened on the angel’s – archangel’s – back, arching up towards the sky.  At long last, Cass was taking back his power.

            After what felt like an eternity, the archangel drew back, leaving Adam panting and shaking in Blake’s arms.  Blake gently let Adam down without letting him go. 

            “I’m sorry, Blake,” Cass said quickly.  “Normally, I don’t need any sort of physical contact to pass into a vessel, but in this case I tore off my Grace and left it inside of him, and the only way to get it back was...”

            “Yeah, I know, I saw Adam doing that with Dean,” Blake explained, unashamed.

            The angel blinked.  “...What?”

            Blake didn’t even get to enjoy it.  Adam had squirmed free from Blake’s arms and pounced on the archangel, grabbing Cass by the lapels of his coat and shaking him.  “Apologize later!  Come on, get this out of me!”

            It was Blake’s turn to blink.  But then Cass’s face flushed, the blue eyes looked away, and a feeling of dread sank into Blake.  Alarmed, Blake turned Adam to face him, and looked down into a set of glowing eyes.  Adam flushed, the glow quickly fading.  He opened his wings, sadly eyeing the snowy-white feathers.  “It’s better,” he explained, closing them again.  “It’s not burning me up like it was.  But it’s still there, Blake.”

            Blake stared.  “Cass?” he called.  “What’s going on?”

            “Cassiel gave me some of his Grace just before he died, which returned some of my powers,” Castiel explained quietly.  “It was the only way I could get here in time to save Adam.  Normally, such a thing would only be temporary. But my brother is me, and our Grace is the same, so what he did actually restored some of my own Grace.  Cassiel was dying, but he still had a lot of power. So when I took back what Adam had, well, I can only take so much.”  The blue eyes looked stricken.  “Adam, Blake, I’m so sorry!”

            “You can’t take this out of me?” Adam asked quietly.  “That means it will keep corrupting me, won’t it?  I’m barely human anymore as it is!  Now it will change me completely!”

            The angel nodded, finally meeting Adam’s eyes.  “Yes,” he said.  “And I’ll do for you as much as I can.  I’ll take you to Heaven, let you change there safely.  Then, once your human soul is completely gone, I’ll work with my brothers to mold you.”

            “Mold me?  Mold me into what?”

            “An angel.”  Cass’s eyes flicked to Blake, and then returned.  “I’ll turn you into an angel, Adam.  It’s the best I can do.”

            “No! I don’t want to be an angel!” Adam cried.  “I don’t want this!  Castiel, please, don’t do this to me!”

            “Adam, it’s the only way!  Once your soul changes over, my brothers and I can teach you how to control your Grace. You won’t be able to return to Earth, but you’ll still be able to do good, serving Heaven for the rest of eternity.”

            “You mean you’ll lock him up in the clouds, let his soul get completely corrupted, and then take away his free will forever?!” Blake yelled, jerking Adam back into his arms again.  “No fucking way!”

            “Blake, the only other alternative will quite likely kill him,” Castiel insisted. “And if I kill him, I won’t be able to bring him back!  His soul is too corrupted for that.  But it will go to Heaven, and be waiting for you there.  Maybe that’s a better answer.”

            “Why can’t you just kill me and bring me back normal?” Adam wanted to know.

            “Because I can’t!  Even now, I don’t have the power to bring back another angel, and you’re so close to one now that my only other option is to finish the process!”

            “So my choices are, die or let you turn me into an angel?”  Adam’s eyes moved to Blake.  “Either way, you’re taking me away from Blake!”

            “No, he’s not!” Blake roared.  “Cass, whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right here, with me!”

            “I can’t!”  The archangel seemed to slump.  “Blake, already the princes of Heaven are calling to me, demanding that I take over my brother’s portion of Heaven.  What I am now, I can’t hide from them, and they’ll never let me go.  It’s not a fight I can win!  I must return to Heaven!”

            “Then you take us both with you.”

            “I can’t bring a living human to Heaven!”

            “Well,” Blake drawled, “that’s easy enough to fix, isn’t it?  Because I will not let you take Adam from me, Castiel. If you have to kill Adam, then you’re killing us both!  And if you grab him and vanish?  You’ll see me again a hell of a lot sooner than you’d think!”

            For a moment, they stared at each other, sky blue eyes clashing with ocean blue. Then Adam squirmed and cleared his throat.  “Since no one asked me, I’m going to present a suggestion.  Back in that compound, our friends are still busy fighting, and so are those angels.  I think they could use our help.  Then we’ll talk about this.  Alright?”

            “Adam?”  Blake took his shoulders and looked hard at him.  “This is your decision, baby.  But I will not lose you!”

            “You won’t.  And I’ve already made my decision.”  Turning away from Blake, Adam grabbed Cass’s hand, which still held the golden blade, and pulled it so that the weapon faced himself.  “First we help our friends, while I still give a shit about them,” Adam announced.  “And then, when it’s over?  It’s over. Alright?”

            The angel straightened.  “You’re sure?”

            “If you turn me into an angel, then I’ll stop loving Blake, and I won’t do that! If you can’t take this out of me, then end me while I still love him!”  He paused. “Can I ask one favor of you, though?”

            “Of course?”

            “Don’t let Blake kill himself.”

            Blake stiffened.  “Adam!”

            Adam whirled.  “Blake, there’s no other way for me, but you need to keep going!  I need you to be alive, to watch over the band and our families and the rest of our friends.  It doesn’t do anyone any good if you’re dead!  You live, you son of a bitch!  You’ll go on, you’ll be happy again, and maybe you’ll even fall in love again!”

            “Bullshit!  You’re my soulmate!”

            “Fine, then live as a lonely, creepy old fuck!” Adam snapped.  “But live!  Because I’ll be watching you, Shelton, and any time you even think about ending it before it’s your time to go, I’ll send Castiel after you!  He’ll bring you back over and over until even an Oklahoma mule like you finally gets the message!  And when it is your time, I’ll be waiting for you.  And I will kick your ass up and down Heaven’s golden streets for a century for every fucking time you tried to kill yourself!  Castiel, will you do that for me?”

            “I will,” Cass called.

            Adam grinned at Blake.  “Looks like I win!”

            “Fuck you!” Blake yelled.  “Fuck both of you and the zephyr you flew in on!”  He drew his pistol and rolled his eyes as both Adam and Cass started forward. “It ain’t for me!  I’m going hunting.  This whole thing can be traced back to two people – Crowley, who I will personally punch in his smug face later, and Arthur Ketch.  Crowley actually did prove surprisingly helpful in the end, so I suppose I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.  But Ketch?  I am going to ventilate Ketch!  Any objections?”

            Cass and Adam exchanged a look.  Then they both smiled.

            “Great!” Blake called.  “Now one of you feathery bastards wing me back down there, would you? I’m not about to try to hike through this mess!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks Blake’s idea is awesome, and grinned wildly about Dean having the same idea. Said he figured they had to replace an angel with an angel, so yet again, Adam gets to be an angel because he can’t die. Wants Chuck to come and fucking fix it all!
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Never count a character out in "Supernatural." The writers have a bad habit of killing off characters, only to bring them back again


	29. Ketch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean faces Ketch, but he's in poor shape to fight. Fortunately, he has some help.

            Dean raced through the underground bunker, trying to ignore the fact that his legs felt like they were going to give out any minute.  He obviously still hadn’t recovered from the strain of trying to support his archangel.  And once again, thinking of his archangel made him start to shake, made him want to stop and scream.  He ran faster instead, punishing his body to focus his mind.  Ketch had done this.  Ketch was the reason his sweet Angel of Serenity was gone.  And Ketch would pay.

            Seeing light ahead, Dean slowed down.  Pulling out the tail of his shirt to cover the weapon in his waistband, he walked out, stepping into the open.  “Ketch!” he called.

            Ketch was standing in a room, right where Farrar had told Dean he’d last seen the bastard on the monitor.  Yet another reason to thank God for the blind luck of Sam Farrar ending up barricading himself in that control room.  With access to the floor plans for the entire compound, Farrar had been able to easily direct Dean to the underground bunker.  Otherwise, Dean never would have known it even existed.  The underground bunker appeared to be a bomb shelter of some sort, complete with its own power supply.  Farrar had spotted Ketch heading down here, obviously preparing the room.  Now Dean could take a good look at it, and let his anger grow.

            The room was likely originally designed for another purpose, but had been hastily redone.  Familiar golden runed chains were waiting, already fastened to the walls and floor. The walls were covered with more runes. At their feet, a narrow, shallow channel ran in a circle around the center of the room where the chains would meet, fed from a pipe leading into the next room.  Electronic strikers were placed at strategic intervals along the channel.  From where he stood, Dean could smell the holy oil.  The only other item in the room was a reclining exam chair with heavy leather restraints.  It was currently back against the rear wall, but the wheels on its base meant it could be easily rolled forward, into the circle.  Ketch was standing at the chair, his hand resting on top of it.  He didn’t seem at all surprised to see Dean.  “Welcome,” he called.  “Pleasure to see you, Mr. Winchester!”

            Dean shook his head in disgust.  “This was your plan?” he called.  “You were going to keep my angel down here, where you could strap him into a chair and surround him with burning holy oil or just chain him to the wall like you did to us?”

            “I’d have broken him in another week,” Ketch predicted.  His eyes were bright as he looked at Dean.  “Within a couple of months, I could have started to utilize his powers under controlled conditions.  And I would have had him ready for field work in about six months. It was all so perfect!  I planned for every possibility!”  He shook his head.  “I’ll confess, I still don’t understand what happened.”

            “Blake Shelton happened,” Dean told him.  “That oversized hillbilly would never not come for his husband!  Taking my angel was the worst mistake you ever made, but taking Adam Levine?”  He clicked his tongue.  “That was a close second.”

            “Rot!” Ketch spat.  “I knew Shelton would come for Levine.  I took steps to stop it from happening, but I had back-up plans in place.  As a last resort, I used my zoo, but somehow, he got through it all!  Something went wrong, something I didn’t anticipate.  And I am at a loss as to what I missed!”

            Dean was moving into the room, sizing up Ketch as he moved.  “Let me give you a word of advice,” he offered. “When you decide to kidnap an innocent musician who just happens to be seriously tech savy?  Don’t leave him alone somewhere he can barricade himself into the main control room of your compound!”

            And now Ketch looked surprised.  “You mean Farrar?  Impossible!”

            “Well, here I am!  Guess it wasn’t so impossible after all!”

            Ketch had stepped casually away from the chair, moving somewhat sideways as he got himself into position.  Dean had continued to move, keeping with Ketch, watching his opponent.  “Well, bugger me!” Ketch was exclaiming.  “Farrar is a clever git, I must confess.  Quite talented, too, and very artistic.  He makes artwork out of the maps of cities he visits with his band, did you know that?  Calls them ‘Samaps.’  They’re really rather good!  But for him to throw over all of my plans, everything I’d worked so hard for?”  He looked around the room, shaking his head. “By now, I should have had my angel! Tell me, how much longer does the archangel have?”

            “He’s _dead,_ you miserable piece of shit!” Dean was not about to cry in front of Ketch, no matter how much his eyes stung right now.  “And don’t you dare talk about Cass like you own him!”

            “Then he’s an archangel now, is he?  Castiel?”  Ketch seemed almost awed.  “Amazing! I cannot wait until I have him again!”

            Dean was moving before he realized it, leaping onto Ketch.  Ketch was ready for him, quickly moving aside and using Dean’s momentum against him, sending him flying back out of the room.  Then Ketch was after him and Dean moved fast, drawing on a lifetime of fighting experience to block and hit.

            Ketch was good.  Here in Bizarroworld, Ketch was at least as good as his counterpart back in Dean’s universe.  He’d been one of the toughest opponents Dean had ever fought.  But Dean knew he could beat him.  Ketch was skilled and fast, but Dean was strong, determined, and could take a punch.  Unfortunately, Ketch realized it quickly.  He had a knife now and had spun away from Dean.  They were both panting.  Dean realized with dismay that somehow, he’d managed to lose his gun when he’d initially attacked Ketch.  Blake was right, he thought, he and Sammy really should consider attaching their weapons with bungee cords!

            Alright, then.  Dean grabbed a board left over from remodeling the room and went after Ketch again, using the board to strike viciously at Ketch’s ribs.  The Englishman yelped, there was a wet snap, and Dean grinned.  He swung again, and the knife went flying.  But then Ketch was charging forward, moving faster than Dean, in his weakened state, could compensate for.  Dean was well aware of the limitations of his body.  This fight, even with the fighting he’d done before now, shouldn’t be enough to have him shaking the way he was, for exhaustion to darken his peripheral vision, making it harder to see Ketch as he rapidly moved around him.  But he’d come into this already weakened.  And now Ketch was taking full advantage of it.  In an instant, the Englishman had hold of Dean’s board. Dean hung on and found himself swinging from the end of it, Ketch using it as a lever to throw Dean to the side. Dean landed hard, rolling to land in a sprawl on the floor. 

            A moment later, Ketch was on him again.  Dean tried to fight back, but now his head was spinning.  His vision blurred and he felt himself starting to fade, only to grunt in pain as Ketch slammed him against the wall.  He’d failed.  He’d failed, and Ketch was still after his angel.  Well, at least he’d managed to bang Ketch up.  Now all Dean had to do was distract Ketch long enough for everyone to get away.  Alright. He could do that.  “Go ahead,” Dean invited.  “Kill me again!  It’s not gonna matter!  You’re finished, Ketch!”

            “Oh, but you’re wrong,” Ketch hissed, pulling Dean up again.  “You’re so wrong, about so many things!  Not the least of which is that I have absolutely no intention of killing you.”

            That surprised Dean.  But before he could puzzle it out, Ketch had pulled him forward, turned him, and slammed him against the wall again, this time facing the wall.  Once again, the world went grey.  “I am anything but finished,” Ketch announced, pulling the battered hunter’s hands behind him.  “And the irony of it all is that you’re the one who’s going to turn this whole thing around!  Dean Winchester, the single biggest thorn in my side, the only one worse than Singer, came back from the dead just when I came to understand I needed him after all!” He chuckled, pulling a plastic tie tight around Dean’s wrists.  “And to think I nearly gave you to Azazel, imagine!”

            Dean had no real idea of what was going on.  His head was spinning, his ears were ringing, and his eyes were heavy. All he knew was that he desperately wanted to lie down, close his eyes, and pass out.  But Ketch had taken hold of him now, had an arm around him and was half-carrying him down the hall.  Dean stumbled after him as Ketch moved quickly down the hall.  “Where the hell are you taking me?!”

            “You are the key to my archangel,” Ketch declared.  “You’re his soulmate, the one person he’ll throw over all the world to get back!  He’ll come for you, trade himself to save you, and I’ll have him again!”  Ketch was rapidly pushing open a door, dragging the struggling hunter through it.  “I _will_ have him, even if I have to burn this entire compound to the ground!  I...”

            “Hey, fuckface!”

            Ketch stopped and turned, his eyes on the giant of a cowboy that was walking down the hall towards him.  He narrowed his eyes.  “Shelton!” he spat.  “Get out of my way.”

            “Let me think about it, um, nope!”  Blake was starting forward with murder in his blue eyes.  “My husband’s stuck as some half-angel abomination because of you.  You kidnapped him, kidnapped my friends, hell, you killed two of ‘em!  You’re the one that unlocked all the cages in your zoo, too, aren’t you?  You know there’s not a soul left alive in there now?  You killed your own people in that building, just to try to kill us!  And now you think I’m gonna just step aside and let you take Dean?”  His face had grown dark as he pointed at Dean.  “Let him go! Now!”

            “Or what?” Ketch sneered.  “You can’t beat me, Shelton!”

            “Maybe, maybe not,” Blake drawled.  He’d stopped about five feet away from Ketch, reaching behind him. “You got all your kung fu and trained killer shit, after all.  Me, all I got is the ancient art of chic-chic-pow.”

            Ketch blinked.  “The ancient art of what now?”

            “This.”  Blake whipped out his pistol, chambered a round with a set of rapid clicks, and pulled the trigger.

            Dean was delighted to feel Ketch’s body jolt with the impact as Blake’s bullet slammed into the Englishman’s chest.  Blake fired twice more, and the arm around Dean abruptly released him.  Dean fell with a thud to the ground.  He rapidly rolled away.  Blake was there in a flash, pulling out a hunting knife and quickly cutting him loose. Dean smiled at him.  “Thanks!”

            “Don’t mention it.”

            Blake was helping Dean to his feet.  But behind the big cowboy, Ketch was moving, his arm rising and falling quickly as he jabbed something into his own thigh.  Dean gasped.  “Blake!”

            Ketch, apparently, wasn’t beaten yet.  And whatever he’d just injected himself with, it seemed to work fast. Ketch was on top of Blake before Blake could even turn around and was hammering the larger man with a flurry of attacks, knocking the pistol and knife flying.  Dean charged forward, going low to slam shoulder-first into Ketch’s ribs, knocking him off of Blake.  He dove on the Englishman, pounding away as Blake moved to join him.  But Ketch recovered fast, rolling away from them both and coming back up to nail Dean with a roundhouse that knocked all sight and sound away, sending Dean into darkness for a moment.

            As his senses slowly returned, the first thing he became aware of were dull thuds and cries of pain.  “You cost me my archangel!” Ketch was yelling.  “You’ve ruined everything!  I will have him back, I swear it, but not until I see you dead!”

            Blake.  The cowboy was still fighting, but he was already in bad shape.  Judging from the blow he’d given Dean, whatever Ketch had injected himself with had enhanced his physical strength.  Blake was taking hit after hit, looked barely able to stand upright and was still trying to fight, despite being caught in a corner with most of his counter-attacks not landing.  Dean shook his head to clear it, forced himself to get up, and lurched at Ketch.

            Ketch either saw or heard him coming.  He turned, catching Dean and throwing him roughly at Blake.  The collision knocked the wind out of them both, sending both men to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

            Dean looked up to see a metallic flash.  Ketch had retrieved one of the fallen pistols.  With a cry, he threw himself over Blake.  “Stop!  Alright!  You can have me, just let him go!”

            Ketch’s response was to grab Dean’s arm, jerking him away from Blake.  Ketch caught the hunter in a headlock, keeping him bent and off balance as he raised the pistol in his other hand, aiming at Blake. Dean yelled, straining to reach the weapon.  Blake raised his arms defensively.

            And then Ketch suddenly grunted.  He stared in disbelief at the tip of the blade protruding through his abdomen, then grunted again as the blade twisted.  “Leave them alone, you piece of shit!” Farrar snarled, snatching the pistol out of Ketch’s hand.

            Dean quickly twisted free, pulled Farrar back, and jerked the weapon out of Ketch’s back.  It turned out to be a long, silver-colored letter opener in the shape of a decorative dagger.  Didn’t matter.  It obviously worked.  Dean promptly stabbed Ketch, once, twice, three times.  Ketch staggered back, clutching his wounds, and eyed them warily.

            Blake was getting up as well, swaying a bit on his feet.  That didn’t stop him from drawing back a fist and punching Ketch right in the face.

            Ketch went backwards like a felled tree.  He landed heavily on the ground, twitched once, and went still.

            “I-I’m not sorry!” Farrar announced.  The musician was white-faced and shaking like a leaf.  “He experimented on me, and he shot me and Jesse, and he was gonna kill Blake and he was giving Dean and Cassiel to those demons, and he kidnapped Castiel and drugged him and...”  He hiccupped, getting his breath back.  “When I went outside, everyone else was fighting and Blake wanted to know where Ketch was so I told him and then I didn’t know what to do so I eventually went after him but when I got here, you guys were both in trouble, so...”  He stopped abruptly, staring in shock at the blood on his hands.

            Dean was leaning heavily on Farrar despite his best efforts.  Now Blake staggered over and grabbed onto the musician as well.  Farrar gasped.  “Oh! You guys are really heavy.  Could you please get off of me?”

            “Sorry, buddy.”  Blake planted a kiss on Farrar’s temple before managing to stand on his own. “You got any idea just how much you saved the day today?”

            “For real!” Dean agreed.  “It was you all the way through!  I could... You know what, screw it.”  Dean planted a wet, noisy kiss on Farrar’s other temple.  Then he stood up as well.  “Our hero!” he announced.

            Farrar smiled.  “Not really. I mostly just did what I do, with the lights and the music.”

            “Well, it really helped!” Blake announced.

            “Yeah, and I think I need a bit more help.”  Dean had grabbed hold of Farrar again, using the musician like a crutch. “I’ll try not to lean so much on you, dude, but you think you could maybe get us back to my angel?”

            Farrar suddenly sobered.  “Yeah. That’s the other reason I followed Blake down here.  Blake, I think Adam really needs you now.  The other angels are here for Castiel, and I think they want Adam, too!”

****

            It was amazing what the human body was capable of during times of strong emotions. Blake largely ignored all of his injuries, barely leaning against Sam Farrar as he rushed to Adam.  He noted with no surprise that Dean had done the same. Cass was looking decidedly unhappy as he stood with Angel and a few other strangers Blake recognized from her group. Blake was glad to see most of them had come through, but the cost of their help was something he’d intentionally ignored.  Now he couldn’t ignore it.  The blue eyes were stricken as they fixed on Dean, and once again, Dean’s freckled face was pale as he saw Cass surrounded.  “Get away from him!” Dean ordered, limping towards his angel.  “Cass!”

            Of course, Blake’s attention was fixed primarily on the slender form of his husband.  Adam was standing slightly away from Cass with one of the angels, talking quietly with his arms wrapped defensively around himself and his head bowed.  It didn’t seem like anyone was trying to hurt him. Blake went to him anyway, slipping his arms around Adam’s waist.  The hazel eyes that looked at him were sad, and at first showed no emotion.  But Blake quickly kissed him, and almost immediately they lit up.  “Blake! They’re not giving me a choice!  They say they’re going to take me to Heaven, like Castiel said!  They want to make me an angel!  Blake, I don’t want to go!”

            “Then you’re not going,” Blake announced fiercely, tightening his grip on his husband.  “This is your choice!”

            “Blake?”

            The archangel’s gravely voice was soft, but immediately drew Blake’s attention. Cass looked completely defeated. “I’m sorry,” he said.  “When I gave Adam my Grace, I never suspected that he’d fight with Cassiel or that any of this would happen.  And I don’t understand why my brother gave me his Grace!”

            “To save Adam, and me,” Blake explained.  “Hunter Sam had a vision of Adam’s body being torn apart when Cassiel passed.  He saw that I wouldn’t let him go, and if that happened, I’d have died with him, wouldn’t I?”

            “You remember what I said, Castiel!” Adam called.  Already, his Rockstar was pulling away, his eyes fixed intently on Cass. “Don’t let them take away my choice!”

            Cass nodded.  He looked at the other angels.  “Let me talk to them privately,” he said.  “I promise that I won’t try to run!”

            “Let them talk,” Angel called.  The other angels didn’t look happy, but they moved away, and Cass quickly moved to join Adam and Blake.

            “What’s going on?” Dean wanted to know, following.

            Castiel quickly explained the situation.  “When I gave my Grace to Adam, I thought I’d have enough time to get it back out of him, well before Cassiel passed his Grace to me.  Had I taken my own Grace back before my brother’s death, then I would have taken enough from Cassiel to become an archangel, and the rest would have passed with him.  But I failed.  And now I only have two options.”  He indicated the angels.  “They’re going to take me.  No, Dean,” he called as Dean began to protest.  “I already lost you once today.  I cannot lose you again.  And I can’t put this universe through a war between archangels.  I have to let them have me.  But Adam, he has a choice.  He can choose to go to Heaven as well, and let his soul become completely corrupted. If he does, chances are high that my brothers and I will succeed in making him an angel.  Adam will become a new angel, and can take his place among them. Perhaps he’ll retain some of his human emotions, or his new soul may still be a match for your own, Blake.”

            “But you don’t think so,” Blake sighed.  “You think he’ll become a worker bee, lose all his free will, and only love me as much as any angel can love any of the billions of humans.”  He swallowed hard.  “What’s option two?”

            “Before I let them take me, I remove his Grace.  With this.”  Castiel displayed his golden blade.  “In an angel, removing his Grace would kill him.  And as close as he is to an angel now, the same will likely happen with Adam. It’s why I said that the only other choice may kill him!”

            Blake shook his head.  “No, I don’t accept that!”  He pulled Adam in and buried his face in Adam’s hair.  “Adam, baby, I promised you that I’d never give up on you, and I’m not! There’s got to be another way!”

            “I wish there was,” Cass sighed.

            “Blake?”  Adam reached up a hand to touch Blake’s face.  “If they make me an angel, chances are high I’ll end up losing you.  So I want Castiel to try to take this out of me, even if it means I die.”

            Blake shook his head.  “No, I can’t!”

            “Me, either.  I don’t accept those choices,” Dean announced.

            Blake looked sharply at him.  “Dean? If you got an option C, believe me I am all ears!”

            “Yeah, I got one alright.”

            Dean grabbed hold of Adam’s arm and jerked him away from Blake.  Before Adam could do more than blink at him, Dean was kissing him.

            Blake looked hard at Cass, saw the angel staring wide-eyed back at him. Dean had found another option.  He knew how to draw Grace out of Adam, and it was clear he was doing that now.  Even now, his body was starting to glow.  He kept going, drawing more and more until Adam suddenly gave a little cry and his knees buckled.

            Blake was there in a flash, gathering his husband in his arms.  “It’s out!” Adam cried.  “Blake, it’s all out of me!”  He gasped.  “Dean!”

            Dean had taken a few steps back, holding up a hand to ward off Castiel. His eyes were blazing brightly, even as his body continued to glow.  Then he straightened and dark shadows rose from his back, stretching out to form a set of massive black wings.  Once again, a wave of energy washed over the field.  Blake held Adam tightly, trying to shield the smaller man with his body. But it wasn’t nearly the destructive force Adam was unleashing before.  And a moment later, it was over.

            Dean smiled, arching his wings up so he could inspect them.  “Awesome!  Alright, my fine feathered friends, if we’re going, let’s go!  Because I am never losing Cass again!”

            “Dean!”

            Dean looked over, saw Sam Squared, and winced.  “I’ll keep my humanity as much as I can,” he vowed.  “And I’ll watch over you, all of you.  But I need to start looking for some good cloud real estate, so if we’re going, let’s...”  He paused, finally noticing the stares of all the angels.  “Ok, what am I missing?”

            “Your wings!”  Cass came over and touched the edge of Dean’s wing.  “They’re black, Dean, like mine used to be!”

            “He is not of this world, and neither is the Grace inside of him,” Angel explained.  She was cocking her head at Dean, looking confused.  “And the Grace, it’s not fighting with his soul as it did in the other!”

            “Because we’re soulmates!” Dean realized.  He grinned.  “That’s why I was able to support Cassiel, because our souls matched up.  So, does that mean this Grace won’t corrupt me?”

            “No, Dean.  No, it won’t!”  Castiel was smiling as he took Dean’s hand.  But his smile faded.  “You’re giving up your freedom all the same, Dean.”

            “I’m fairly certain I’ll find some loophole somewhere to exploit,” Dean announced. “I can...”

            Suddenly, every angel froze, heads cocked in an attitude of listening.  Cass and Dean looked at each other, Cass in surprise and Dean with a grin that quickly turned into a chuckle.  “See?” Dean exclaimed.  “Always a loophole!  Hey Cassiel!” he yelled up at the sky.  “You lousy drama queen, could you possibly make a more dramatic entrance?”

            “Prince Cassiel has returned!” Angel announced.  She looked a bit awestruck.  “With the Prince back in his rightful place, there is no longer any need to bring you to Heaven.  In that case, we will leave you.”

            “Just like that?” Dean asked.

            There was a fluttering of wings, and suddenly Angel and her people were gone.

            “Guess so,” Dean grumbled.  “Well that was abrupt!”

            “What the hell just happened?” Blake yelled.

            “My brother,” Castiel explained.  He looked somewhat dazed.  “He’s back, and so is Dean!”

            “He is!” Hunter Sam exclaimed, confirming with Lawyer Sam.  “I don’t understand!”

            “I do,” Sam Farrar called.  He was smiling as his hand cupped his amulet.  “And I think I know why they suddenly lost interest in Castiel, too. I think maybe Castiel’s not the only angel in town anymore who’s been touched by God!”

            There was a moment of silence as everyone digested that.

            “So, what, Dean’s an angel now, and he and Castiel can do whatever they want?” Matt asked.

            “Looks that way!” James confirmed.

            “What about Adam?” Jesse wanted to know.

            “I’m fine.”

            Adam wouldn’t look at Blake, and Blake frowned.  He caught Adam’s chin and lifted his head.  “What is it?”

            “Nothing bad, not really,” Adam assured.  “It’s just, well, Castiel did say that some of the changes from his Grace could be permanent.  I think I still have some of my angel senses, because I heard that announcement.”

            “Doesn’t matter,” Blake declared, bending slightly to kiss him.  “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together.”

            “Hey, not to rain on the moment, but do you guys realize that you start filming ‘The Voice’ in two days?” Mickey asked quietly.  “Carson’s gonna be pissed when he finds out about all this!”

            Blake grimaced.  “Yeah, we better call him.  Oh well, could be worse, I guess.”

            Then the group fell silent, listening to the sound of approaching sirens.  They looked, seeing what appeared to be every cop in five counties descending on their location.

            “Oh, shit!” Lawyer Sam yelled.  “No one says a word to anyone!  I do all the talking, either me or Jess!  Understood?!”

            With a sinking heart, Blake did indeed understand.  Castiel and Adam were still wanted by the law.  They were standing in the middle of a destroyed compound, surrounded by bodies and obvious signs of violence, most of them with weapons in their hands.  As the police drew closer, yet another explosion sounded behind them.  Blake sighed, carefully removed all of his weapons, put them on the ground, and raised his hands, knowing that everyone else was doing the same.

            About the fifth time the police asked someone a question and got “I’m not saying anything on the advice of my lawyer” in response, it was clear they were losing their tempers.  Adam and Castiel had been arrested almost immediately.  Now they were arresting everyone present.  Even Crowley was still there, and looking disgruntled as he was put in handcuffs.  “What the hell have you gotten yourself into?!” one of them asked Blake as he was cuffing him.

            “I’m not saying anything on the advice of my lawyer,” Blake recited.

            “You know, I cannot wait until I speak to your asshole lawyer!”

            “Excuse me!”  Lawyer Sam had been handcuffed as well.  Now he was reaching his cuffed hands around himself, extending one to the officer. “Sam Winchester, asshole lawyer. That’s my wife Jess, who is assisting me as co-counsel for now.  And I’m afraid we’re not saying anything either, until we’ve had a chance to confer with our clients.”

****

            _“Wake up.”_

            The voice was gentle, but could not be ignored.  Cassiel obeyed, rising out of the darkness and returning to his senses. And he knew he was lying in the Elysium fields.  He was alive. Most importantly of all, his bright, precious soul was still with him, still cradled in his arms.

            The soul stirred.  “What the hell?  We’re alive?”

            “So it would appear.”  Cassiel got up, still holding his soul, and looked around eagerly.  He’d known that voice.  Every angel was as intimately familiar with that voice as with their own. But the being he longed to see was nowhere to be found.

            They were far from alone, though.  All of his brothers were rapidly racing towards him, Gabriel in the lead.

            “Cassie!” the other archangel exclaimed, pouncing on Cassiel.  “Welcome home!”

            “We thought you’d faded away!” Michael called.

            “And you allowed it!” Cassiel snapped, suddenly irritated.  “It seems our Father had other plans.  What of my brother on the Earth?”

            “Castiel has become an archangel,” Metatron reported.  “But neither of you are being drained!  You’re still the same angel, and both of you have the same Grace, but neither is drawing from the other.  How can this be?”

            “Because you are different now, Cassiel.”  Uriel was peering carefully at him.  “The touch of our Father’s hand has changed you.  Your Grace, it’s different!”

            “I bet I know why!” the soul called, surprising the Princes.  “For days now, Other Me was using his own soul to support him. Then I was doing it.  We both gave you a bit of ourselves doing that.  And when God brought us back, all he had to do was nudge that a little, enough so you’re just a bit different from Castiel!”

            “There’s more,” Barachiel reported.  “There is another strange angel with black wings on the Earth.”

            “It’s not another strange angel, it’s Dean!”  Cassiel chuckled.  “I’m glad my brother figured it out.”  He smiled down at his soul.  “Castiel loves Dean, just as I do.  Had my soul not come to Heaven, I likely would have never known how it was to have my soulmate.  But Castiel knows Dean as a human, and humans are frail things with short lives.  I knew there was only one way that Dean could truly be with my brother without first dying.  So I gave Castiel some of my Grace, so he could help his friends, and hoped that Dean would be clever enough to understand the true purpose of the gift.”

            “That meatbag’s a lot smarter than he looks, but that’s not the point here.” The soul was pulsing brightly. “Do you really love me, Cass?”

            “Hey assbutt, he gave up Heaven, risked all of our judgement for stealing you, and then died!” Gabriel grumbled.  “I’d say that qualifies!”  He turned to his brothers.  “How about we leave these two soulmates alone for now?  We can pester Cassiel about being touched by God later.”

            “I have my concerns about an archangel wandering the Earth,” Michael began. “Not to mention this black-winged...”

            “Yeah, yeah, we can discuss that later too.”  Gabriel shooed the other archangels away, and Cassiel noticed something. One of Gabriel's faces had something in its mouth.  A white paper stick was protruding that looked suspiciously like the lollipops he’d seen the band enjoy.  He had no idea what it could mean.

            But then he was alone with his soul, and he forgot all about Gabriel.

            “You know,” the soul began, “it took Other Me losing Castiel before he figured things out.  I don’t want that to ever happen to me.”

            “You won’t lose me,” Cassiel vowed.  He held the soul close and smiled down at it.  “I love you, Dean.  I will never leave you.”

            The soul shimmered.  It moved, traveling up Cassiel’s chest towards the closest face.  There it nuzzled, leaving traces of its essence glowing on the mouth there.  “Then I’ll make it official,” the soul announced.  “I love you, Cass!  There. That wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be.”

            Cassiel drew the soul in, letting his essence surround it.  “No,” he agreed.  “No, it wasn’t that hard at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun announced that he knew what Ketch had missed – Chuck, the greatest character ever! Yelled at them for not double-tapping Ketch with two in the brainpan, says now he’ll come back. Rolled his eyes when he remembered Dean could hold the power of an angel because he’d forgotten that. Cheered wildly for Chuck bringing back Cassiel and Ghost Dean and said he’s not getting choked up. Laughed about the lawyer talk and loved “Sam Winchester, asshole lawyer.” Thought the ending with Cassiel and Ghost Dean was a great ending! Says he almost thinks that’s how this story should end! When reminded that everyone was going to jail, announced that they’d be fine because they have Sam and Jess with them and they’ll get out of it because they’re lawyers and that’s what lawyers do.


	30. The Art of the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowley shows that no matter what universe he's in, he is still king of the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song I used here, main theme for Crowley, is "Sympathy For the Devil," the Guns 'N Roses version.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBZFQf--50&frags=pl%2Cwn

            Fergus “Crowley” MacLeod had never cared much for law enforcement.  Those he was dealing with presently did little to change his mind.  The gits had already photographed and fingerprinted him like a common criminal.  Now he was seated in an overcrowded waiting area, squeezed in between Matt and Jesse. It was mortifying.  Naturally, he could get out any time he wished.  He’d recovered from his admittedly foolish over-exertion of power fighting that sodding leviathan – who the hell kept a leviathan, much less let it out? – with no real damage done.  But he’d already been arrested and processed.  If he vanished now, it would create a fuss. Then Sexy and the Moose twins would be surly and make his life miserable, and he didn’t need that.

            Still, it was decidedly inconvenient.  They’d removed handcuffs from everyone except for Lovely and Feathers, but at least they’d let Sexy in with Lovely.  Otherwise, Sexy would have been completely intolerable. They’d argued it, but eventually Montgomery Moose was able to convince them Feathers would be more cooperative if they’d let Squirrel in with Feathers.  Unfortunate.  Crowley badly wanted a chat with Lovely and Squirrel.  Recent events had opened up some real opportunities.  Squirrel as an angel could be useful, and as to Lovely, well, Crowley couldn’t help but wonder if Sexy had any idea just how much of what Feathers had given him still remained?  Both Squirrel and Lovely had souls that had been drastically altered. It was perhaps unfortunate that the alterations only made them even more exquisite.  The two souls had already been beautiful to the demon’s eyes.  Now they were absolutely breathtaking. Feathers and Sexy were going to have their work cut out for them.  Well, there was still hope.  If they prosecuted no one else, Crowley knew that every cop in the precinct was itching to throw the book at everyone’s favorite trenchcoated archangel.  If they had their way, Feathers would be on his way to a cell within the hour.  But at the same time, if they did that, Squirrel would never leave, and recent events had stressed the importance of returning to his own universe.  Naturally, no cell could hold the archangel, but if he escaped again, it would only cause more trouble for Sexy and Lovely. Crowley knew Feathers wouldn’t do that. Fine.  Apparently, he was going to have to step in.  Montgomery Moose seemed to have some skill as a lawyer, but Crowley doubted any legal maneuvering was going to help Feathers.  Once again, it looked as though the King of Hell was going to have to get his hands dirty.

            “Alright, Fergus Crowley, front and center!”

            How rude.  Crowley sniffed and straightened his lapel.  “I will, of course, have the benefit of legal counsel?”

            “I’m right here, Crowley,” Jess sighed.  The lovely Mrs. Winchester was looking decidedly frazzled.  Well, perhaps that was to be expected.  Criminal law was her husband’s specialty, after all, not her own.  But she went with Crowley as he followed the annoying detective into the interview room.

            “First, I want to make sure we all understand each other,” the detective began before Crowley had even sat down.  “Mrs. Winchester, you’re really toeing a line here!  Your husband swears up and down that he was kidnapped before, his twin brother’s the one who did the press conference while he was being held, and he didn’t participate in any of the fighting that went on in that compound.  But you freely admit that you were fighting!”

            “I’m trained in martial arts.  The people who had already taken half of our people came back for the rest of us and we had one chance to try to escape.  What would you do, detective?”

            “So what we saw was an escape attempt?”

            “What you saw was a group of victims taking advantage of some sort of infighting to try to win their freedom.”

            “You realize that you could be facing charges yourself?”

            “I’m aware, and that does not negate the rights of our clients to legal counsel,” she shot back.  Crowley, always the gentleman, had held her chair for her as she sat.  Now he took his own seat, casting a frosty eye towards the detective over his poor manners.  “The fact you might be considering charges against me doesn’t negate my law degree, either.  Unless and until I’m actually charged, I am here to represent my clients!”

            The detective looked at Crowley.  “You ok with this?  There’s a chance she ends up in a cell of her own and you gotta start all over again with a new lawyer!”

            “I have every confidence in Mrs. Winchester’s ability to represent me,” Crowley declared.

            “Your funeral.  Alright.”  The detective opened a file and frowned down at it as if it should intimidate Crowley. “The charges here are pretty substantial...”

            “...As well as completely unsubstantiated!” Jess countered.

            The detective stared at her in disbelief.  “We caught you all red-handed, in that compound surrounded by weapons and bodies, Ms. Winchester!”

            “A scene that I’m certain is familiar to you, because the same scene was present at Mr. Shelton’s house, where we were all abducted!” she declared.  “This entire incident was nothing more than a terrified group of entertainers, their bodyguards, and their lawyers taking advantage of the distraction caused by some sort of infighting among our kidnappers to try to escape!  But let’s focus solely on my client here.  You don’t have a shred of evidence that Mr. Crowley was in any way involved in the events at the compound.”

            “Then what, exactly, are you saying he was doing there?”

            “He was a kidnap victim,” Jess declared. “Just like my husband, myself, and all of our clients that you further traumatized by arresting them and bringing them here today!”

            Crowley was only half paying attention.  He was scrutinizing the detective.  “Detective White, was it?” he called.  “Marcus White?”

            Detective White eyed him.  “Yes?”

            “Tell me, how is your sister?  Marcy?”

            The detective froze.  Jess eyed him.

            “Car accident, wasn’t it?” Crowley went on. “Doctors said she’d never walk again, but she’s walking just fine now, isn’t she?”

            “I’m sorry,” the detective began.  “Would you mind telling me exactly how it is you know any of that?”

            “Because her doctors are calling her a medical miracle,” Crowley explained.  “None of them can explain exactly how it was she recovered!”  He leaned forward.  “Why, it’s almost as if someone made a deal with the devil!”

            Jess’s hand shot out, seizing Crowley’s wrist. “I’d like a word with my client in private,” she announced.

            But Detective White had gone pale.  “H-how do you...?”

            “How do I know about your deal?  Why, I’ve read your contract, darling!”  He gestured, and suddenly writing appeared, covering the detective’s skin.  “It’s right there, for any of us to see.  You see, no one knows more about deals with the devil than a crossroads demon!”

            Both the detective and Jess flinched back when Crowley’s eyes flashed red.  Crowley gestured again and the writing was gone.  “Tell me,” Crowley continued, “did you know what would happen to you in ten years?”

            The detective nodded quickly.  “I’ll go to Hell.  So there’s nothing more you can take from me, demon!”

            “Oh, actually, there is.  You see, I can take your deal and make it void.  You’ll never face the hellhounds, while dear Marcy remains in perfect health.”

            “Crowley?” Jess asked.  “Are you saying that you’ll free his soul, and his sister still keeps her ability to walk?”

            “I am.  If, and only if, you make this?”  He indicated the file and then snapped his fingers.  “Disappear!  That goes for me, for my lovely lawyer, and for all that lot out there you brought in with me, even Adam Shelton-Levine and Castiel Novak.”

            “I can’t do that!”

            “Or, I can arrange for another unfortunate accident. You have only one soul, detective. What you offered was a one-time deal, but a lifetime is such a dreadfully long time, isn’t it?  And who will look after dear Marcy after you’re gone, and her deal is void?”  His eyes flicked over the shocked detective.  He clicked his tongue.  “Oh dear me, what a shame!  I don’t see any caveat at all about just how long her miraculous healing is to last. Seems to me that in ten years, you’ll face the hellhounds and she goes right back into that wheelchair she hated so much.  Ah well. At least she had ten years.”

            White swallowed hard.  “What do you want?”

            “It’s quite simple, darling.  No charges.  No arrests. Once we all walk out of here, I void the deal, Marcy keeps her ability to walk for the rest of her natural life, and you keep your soul.  We call the whole thing sorted and we all go our separate ways.”

            The detective picked up the file with a shaking hand and cleared his throat.  “Well! It seems fairly obvious to me that you were a kidnapping victim here, Mr. Crowley!  We’ll be filing no charges against you.  And there’s probably a few more that fit that same bill, I’d imagine?”

            “Indubitably!”

            “But, um, I’m not the only detective assigned to this mess,” White continued weakly.  “There’s three of us, and we divided things up.”

            “I see.”  Crowley leaned back and folded his hands.  “And what are the names of these detectives?”

            “I rather doubt that any of them made a deal with a crossroads demon!  Miller especially not.  He’s a pillar of the community, teaches Sunday school, deacon at his church, volunteers at a local soup kitchen, a real do-gooder!”

            “Wonderful!  I do so love that type.  Be a dear and bring me a laptop computer with internet access, would you?  And perhaps some scotch?”

            “It’s a police station!  We don’t have alcohol here!”

            Crowley rolled his eyes.  “Of course not,” he called sarcastically.  “In that case tea, Earl Grey, black.  And it was Detective Miller and Detective...?”

            “Sanders.”

            “Cheers.  Do run now!”

            Crowley waved cheerfully as the detective scurried off. Then he turned to see Jess staring at him.  “Do you have any intention of freeing him from his deal?” she wanted to know.

            “Of course I do!  It’s of no benefit to me, now, is it?”

            “But do you have the power?” she pressed. “This isn’t your universe, Crowley, or your Hell!  So how can you dictate anything about a deal he made with another demon?”

            “Because that demon happened to be named Fergus MacLeod when she was alive,” Crowley explained.  “With angels, it’s one angel per universe because they share the same Grace. With demons, it’s apparently similar, because we share the same power.  Fortunately for us, we don’t drain each other, at least not my kind. Instead, it appears that we share ownership of our deals.  Since she so kindly departed, all of her deals now belong to me.  His contract, and therefore his soul, are mine to do with as I please.  In this case, it pleased me to alter the terms of the deal.”  He stroked his chin.  “I imagine he’ll have some difficulty with a few of you, especially those like yourself that have obviously participated in the violence. But the others should be cleared within the hour.  That would include, of course, your husband.”

            She smiled at him.  “You know, I could almost kiss you!”

            Crowley chuckled, knowing the lawyer had no idea exactly how crossroads demons sealed a deal.  “My dear, while I would love to take you up on that offer, your brother-in-law is an angel now.  And I’ve no intention of giving him any further reasons to smite me!”

            Of course, what he was doing now, especially in front of Jess Winchester, should make some headway towards getting Squirrel to trust him.  And that was certainly worth the cost of a single soul.

****

            “I’m as serious as a cop going after a donut,” Dean said.

            Sammy sighed and Cass gave Dean a look.  “Dean, I really don’t think it’s wise to antagonize them.”

            “No, no it’s not,” Sammy agreed.

            “You should listen to your lawyer,” the detective urged.

            “I told you, Sammy’s not my lawyer, Sam’s the lawyer!”

            “You have a set of twin brothers,” the detective asked, her voice betraying her disbelief, “and they’re both named Sam Winchester?”

            “Have you met George Foreman’s kids?” Dean asked. He hoped the George Foreman of this reality was the same as his own, with all his sons named after himself.

            “Dean?” Cass said quietly.  “Please be quiet.”  He shook his hands, making the cuffs rattle.  “We are in a certain amount of trouble, and it would be better if we didn’t make it worse for our friends."

            Dean waggled his eyebrows at him.  “When we leave here, think we can keep those cuffs?”

            Sammy cleared his throat.  “Detective Sanders, you’ll have to excuse my brother.  He’s been through a terrible ordeal.  We all have.”

            “So you’re really going with this?” Sanders asked, incredulous.  “That all of you were kidnapped by this, what was his name again?”

            “Arthur Ketch!”  It was Lawyer Sam, coming through the door in a rush.  “His name is Arthur Ketch, and he’s the one behind everything that’s been happening since Blake Shelton was abducted nearly two months ago.”  He extended his hand.  “Sam Winchester, attorney-at-law.”

            She shook.  “Detective Chelsea Sanders.”

            “Pleasure.”  The lawyer dragged up a chair next to Hunter Sam.  His eyes were bright as he began to speak.  “My brothers, Sammy and Dean, and Castiel Novak here work for one of the gentlemen in the other room, Mr. Robert Singer.  They’re mercenaries for hire.  I believe Mr. Levine told you some of this already, that he stumbled over Mr. Novak running from Ketch’s group?”

            “That was Ketch’s group?”

            “It was.  And that’s how I ended up associated with Mr. Levine, because Mr. Novak was trying to protect a couple of singers whose only crime was trying to help an injured man.  Mr. Novak had uncovered evidence of what Ketch was doing.  But Ketch sent his men after him.  Mr. Novak was injured, and just by chance, happened to be found by Mr. Levine, who brought him back to the Shelton-Levine ranch to try to help him. As I explained to your associate Detective Miller, my clients, Mr. Shelton and Mr. Levine, tried to send Mr. Ketch away.  And Ketch responded by abducting Blake Shelton, intending to hold him hostage in exchange for the return of the evidence that could implicate him.  Ketch gave Novak and Levine a time limit of one month, by the end of which he’d threatened to kill Shelton if the evidence wasn’t given over.  That is why Novak stayed with Levine, why they could tell no one the true story. But during their close association, the other members of Levine’s band, Maroon 5, stumbled over the secret and were drawn into this.”  He spread his hands.  “Everything that happened was orchestrated by Ketch specifically so he could obtain this evidence from Mr. Novak, including what happened at the prison.  Adam Levine didn’t escape, he was abducted from the prison and was held hostage!  Mr. Novak was framed, set up to take the fall for it.  And Arthur Ketch is behind it all.”

            Sanders slow clapped sarcastically.  “Lovely story counselor.  If only you had a shred of proof!”

            “I do.”  Sam produced a cell phone and placed it on the table.  “It’s all there.  Sam Farrar was able to escape his captors long enough to hack into Ketch’s computers and send it.  You’ll find dummy corporations, bank accounts, and offshore funds that were used to shuttle money all over the world.  Ketch was working on two things – drugs and guns.”  He nodded.  “I see I have your attention now, but it’s not quite what you think.  The guns are simple.  By now, your people may have already found them.  There’s an entire arsenal at that compound, weapons for use, sale, and distribution around Ketch’s network.”

            Dean blinked.  Of course there was an arsenal at the Men of Letters compound.  It was for monster hunting!  But naturally, Detective Sanders wouldn’t know that. The lawyer was a genius to explain the presence of so much weaponry like this.

            “The drugs are a different matter,” the lawyer continued.  “Ketch and his people were conducting experiments, creating new medical breakthroughs.  But unfortunately, they were creating those breakthroughs through human experimentation.  You’ll see for yourself on those files.  They’re the financial records of sales related to drugs, and numbers indicating the number of test subjects that the drugs were tested on.”

            “And what proof do you have that they were actually testing on humans?” Sanders challenged.

            “You’re looking at him!” Sam fired back.  “Me, my brothers, Mr. Novak, Sam Farrar, and Mr. Levine were all subjected to those experiments.  I can testify that I was strapped into a chair, injected with drugs, and shocked with electricity.”  He pulled his shirt up, indicating small burns.  “They tortured me, detective,” he announced, angrily pulling his shirt back down. “They told themselves they were saving humanity, but in the end, it was all about money and power.”

            “Do you need medical attention?”  The detective’s voice was considerably less cocky now.

            “I’m fine,” Lawyer Sam grumbled.  “But now you have some idea of what it was that my clients and I were so desperate to escape from!  And if you want further proof?”

            “By all means?”

            Sam went to the door, opened it, and waved someone inside.  To Dean’s surprise, Sam Farrar walked in.  The lawyer looked the musician in the eye.  “You’re sure about this?”

            Farrar nodded.  Then he looked at the detective.  “I need something sharp, a knife or something?”

            Dean spotted a glimpse of gold as Cass helpfully produced his archangel blade.  He grabbed his archangel’s arm and shook his head, making sure to keep Cass’s arm, and the weapon, below the table out of sight of the detective.  Cass looked confused, but thankfully put his weapon away, somehow managing to resheath his blade despite the handcuffs.

            Meanwhile, the detective had gotten one of the officers outside to produce a knife and a lighter.  Farrar carefully sterilized the blade with the lighter.  Then he took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and sliced through the flesh of his hand.  “Ow, shit!  But don’t worry,” he called quickly, seeing Cass start to come to his aid and Dean firmly pull him back down again.  He held up his hand, which had already stopped bleeding.  “They gave me something to boost healing, and it kind of worked, after it made me stop breathing!  Nearly killed me, but I heal real fast now.”

            “We figured it out when he described his injuries and I pointed out he didn’t have any,” Lawyer Sam explained.  “Ketch had him beaten as an example to the rest of us, but he doesn’t have a single bruise.  Between that and comments made by... certain individuals present at the scene, we came to understand that some of those experiments did hold real medicinal promise.  Unfortunately, the cost is too high.  As Farrar stated, he nearly died.  And of course, he in no way consented to being part of these experiments.”

            “No way!”  Farrar shuddered.  “None of us did!  They dragged me away, tied me up in the back of a truck, beat the hell out of me and then experimented on me.  So I’m sorry, but I’m not even a little sorry that they got what’s coming to them!”

            Lawyer Sam cleared his throat.  “Sam, thank you, but please don’t volunteer information?”

            Farrar ducked his head.  “Sorry.  I’m still kind of messed up, is all, don’t know what I’m saying.  Um, is that all you guys needed?”

            “For now, yes.  Thank you.”

            “No problem.”  By now, Farrar’s hand was almost healed.  He headed back out.

            Lawyer Sam returned to the table, crossed his arms, and looked at the detective.  “Detective Sanders, are you convinced?”

            It was clear she was, but she was still frowning. “Alright.  I suppose those of you involved in these experiments can’t really be charged.  But there’s still a lot of charges against Novak that I’m having difficulty connecting to Ketch.  Not to mention the fact that...”  She paused, seeing another detective come into the room.  “Detective White!”

            “We’re dropping all charges,” White announced. “On all of them.  Gentlemen, you’re free to go.”

            Sanders sputtered.  _“What?!_   But people are dead!  How can we be dropping charges?  Where’s Miller?”

            White swallowed, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “He, um, just turned in his resignation.”  He paled even further when Crowley and Jess entered the room.  “I was just telling them the good news.”

            “Good!”  Crowley extended his hand.  He had what appeared to be a laptop under his arm.  “Fergus Crowley.  I’m kind of an independent contractor that works with Mr. Singer’s group every now and then.  I believe that the only question remaining now concerns Adam Levine and Castiel Novak, correct?”  He opened the laptop, revealing the familiar Men of Letters bounty board, and turned it so the detective could see.  “I have evidence here of bounties, actual rewards offered by Ketch’s group for the capture of my clients and Adam Levine.  Ketch was actually putting prices on all of their heads.  That is why Levine was repeatedly attacked, and why Novak, acting as his bodyguard, was forced to utilize lethal force to protect him.”  He smiled.  “I believe that should be proof enough of who was really behind it all, correct?”

            Ten minutes later, the group was walking out the door.

****

            Arthur Ketch was dying, and he knew it.  If it weren’t for the serum, he’d already be dead. But not even it could save him now. Blood loss made him weak and dizzy. Every breath was gurgling pain. He’d patched up what he could, but no hospital was going to be able to help him now.

            There was only one thing that could.

            The red-eyed bitch was crafty, and ambitious. It was a dangerous combination. Still, it offered some hope. Ketch was all too aware of how much Azazel wanted him.  And the fact that MacLeod herself must have somehow been defeated by Shelton and his crew made his position even more precarious.  Still, he had little choice now.  The only way he was going to get his archangel back was if he gained control of Dean Winchester.  And to do that, he was going to have to have help from the Queen of the Crossroads.

            Of course, none of it would matter if he didn’t survive.  That was going to have to be a priority.

            The crossroads were dark and deserted, precisely how they should be.  Ketch carefully buried the box and waited.  Hopefully, it wouldn’t take long.

            “Hello, darling.”

            Ketch blinked in surprise.  Standing in front of him was a middle-aged man in a black suit. His red eyes identified him as a crossroads demon, but it wasn’t at all what he was expecting.  “I specifically summoned MacLeod!” Ketch exclaimed. “I’ll only deal with the Queen of the Crossroads herself!”

            “And you are!”  The demon moved closer.  “I am MacLeod.  You called?”

            Ketch blinked again.  Apparently, the battle with Shelton’s crew had gone worse for MacLeod than he’d realized if she’d even had to possess a new vessel.  No matter.  Ketch sat up straighter, leaning against the signpost.  “Alright,” he began.  “I’m here to bargain.  Let’s make a deal.”

            “Indeed!”  MacLeod was walking around him now, an amused, smug grin on his/her face. “You’re offering your soul?”

            “I am.”  Ketch shifted his weight, wincing as the movement aggravated his injuries. “But I want very specific terms. In exchange for my soul, I want three things from you.”

            The demon, Ketch couldn’t help but think of it as male now, cocked his head.  “I’m listening.”

            “Number one, I want Dean Winchester,” he announced. “The living version, the one Castiel is so obsessed over!  Number two, I want Blake Shelton dead.  And number three, I want to be completely healed.”

            “My my!” the demon marveled, stopping to stare incredulously at Ketch.  “Aren’t you the ambitious one?  You think your dingy little soul is worth all of that?  Healing you is simple.  Killing Blake Shelton is considerably more difficult, and for the same reason as obtaining Winchester!  That is a bloody _archangel_ those two lads have watching over them!  Not even the King of the Crossroads is willing to go up against that!”

            “Bring me Winchester,” Ketch offered, “and I’ll handle the archangel.”

            MacLeod scoffed.  “If I go after Winchester, the archangel will have me for breakfast! No, darling, I’m afraid that you’re asking for too much.”

            Ketch ground his teeth.  “Fine.  Then take me to him.  Heal me and bring me to Dean Winchester when the archangel isn’t around, and I’ll take him on my own.  And I want Blake Shelton’s head on a platter!”

            “How colorful.”  The demon was walking around him again, seeming to study him from every angle.  “Assuming I agree to this, I’ll be expecting your soul in a year’s time.”

            “A year?!” Ketch sputtered.  “The deals are usually for ten years!”

            “The deals also don’t typically involve risking my precious neck by going after the soulmate of an archangel, now do they?!” MacLeod retorted.  “I’ll go as high as two years.”

            “Five!”

            “Two.”

            “Three!”

            The demon crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest.  “One and a half.”

            Ketch stared at him in disbelief.  “What happened to two?!”

            “You’re starting to annoy me.  And you’re about to bleed to death.  Keep arguing with me, darling, and I’ll be collecting your soul within the hour, and not even have to lift a finger in return!”

            Ketch pounded a fist on the ground.  He hated negotiating from a position of weakness. But this time, he’d had no time to do his homework.  It was obvious when he hadn’t even known about MacLeod’s new meat suit.  Right from the start, the demon had known he was holding all the cards.  “Fine!” Ketch spat.  “Two years!”

            The demon moved to stand in front of Ketch and knelt down to where he could look the hunter in the eye.  “Then this is our deal,” he began.  “I will heal you completely, bring you Dean Winchester, and put Blake Shelton’s head on a platter.  In return, your soul belongs to the King of Hell, but you’ll survive, and Azazel doesn’t touch you, for two years’ time.”

            Ketch cocked an eyebrow.  “You’re literally going to put that bastard’s head on an actual platter?”

            “Would you prefer sterling silver, or will silver plated or simply stainless steel do?”

            That made Ketch chuckle, which brought about a fit of coughing that did not feel good at all.  “You put Blake Shelton’s head on any platter you find!  I’ll have his skull polished and use it on my desk as a paperweight once I have my archangel again!”

            “Then we have a deal?”  MacLeod’s eyes stared intently at him.

            Ketch thought it over.  Two years’ time was unexpected.  It would make his plans harder, but certainly not impossible.  If in that time he couldn’t find a way to break or amend this deal, he could always use his archangel for protection. Besides, the red-eyed git was right. Already, Ketch could feel his heart skipping beats, his pulse faltering in response to his critically low blood pressure.  “Alright. Agreed.  Let’s do get this over with!”

            “Not looking forward to snogging me, darling?”

            “Not even when you had an attractive female meat suit!  Now come here!”

            Fortunately, it was over quick.  And almost immediately, Ketch felt his terrible wounds heal.  He sighed in relief, getting to his feet.  “Alright then!” he called, clapping his hands.  “When do you expect we can...?”

            “What the hell do you want?” Dean Winchester complained, suddenly appearing next to MacLeod.  “I was right in the middle of...”  His voice trailed off, his green eyes fixing on Ketch.

            “Winchester!”  Ketch wanted to cheer.  He had his weapon out in an instant, leveling the pistol at Winchester.  “Well done, MacLeod!”

            “Mr. Ketch and I just made a deal,” MacLeod announced as Winchester turned to stare at him.  “He wanted healed, he wanted you, and he wants Blake’s head on a platter. And in return, his soul belongs to the King of Hell, but he lives, and Azazel can’t touch him, for two years.”

            Winchester blinked.  Then he burst out laughing.  He seemed oblivious to the pistol in Ketch’s hand.  “Oh, that’s perfect, Crowley!” he laughed.  “Just perfect!  Hey Ketch, let me cue you in to something.  Crowley here?  He’s from my universe.  And in my version, he _is_ the King of Hell!  Azazel won’t touch you in two years or at all, because Crowley here is going to take your soul tonight!”  The green eyes suddenly changed, glowing with an ominous blue-white light.  “But not until we have a nice, long discussion about what you did to us, especially to my angels!”

            “You can’t kill me!” Ketch protested.  “Our deal was I’d live two years!”

            “Your body probably will,” Winchester agreed. “I’m just ripping the soul out of it.”

            “And don’t worry about Blake, luv,” Crowley added. “By now, he’s likely awake, wondering exactly why it is that his pillow has been replaced with the silver platter from his dining room.  Rest assured, the conditions of our deal have most decidedly been met!”  He bowed to Winchester.  “Do enjoy yourself, Squirrel.  Mind if I watch?”

            Winchester was smiling in a most unpleasant way. “Not at all!  And when you take his soul and go back to Hell?  Make sure he has a memorable experience!”

****

            Blake scowled at Dean when the angel showed up at the breakfast table that morning looking decidedly pleased with himself, despite the fact that Hunter Sam still looked awful.  “Dean, we are going to have to talk about your behavior,” he began, rushing to get Hunter Sam some pain relievers and coffee.  “Your brother’s still detoxing, and you decide to play a prank on me?  You want to tell me why in the middle of the night I woke up with my ear pressed to my silver platter?!”

            “You’re on the outside of an inside joke,” Dean replied cheerfully.  “Won’t happen again!”

            To Blake’s surprise, Dean was bringing a cup of coffee to Crowley.  The two had developed a sort of icy truce between them, where each tolerated the other while interacting as little as possible.  It was probably more than anyone else was giving Crowley right now, while they all waited through the agonizing process of detoxing Hunter Sam from the demon blood.  But now Dean was smiling warmly at the King of Hell, who nodded his thanks and actually patted Dean’s shoulder.  Blake frowned.  “What did I miss?”

            “Nothing, not really,” Crowley replied with a smile. He sipped at his coffee.  “I just figured he could use a little break after all he’s been through.  So Dean and I went on a little trip last night, out after a particularly large fish I’d been hoping to land.”

            “Your brother Sam is detoxing from demon blood, so you guys went fishing?”  Disbelief colored the country singer’s face.

            Dean nodded.  “Sure did!  And Crowley landed one hell of a Ketch!”

            “Indeed!”  Crowley raised his mug to Dean.  “Quite the Ketch indeed!”

            Blake’s blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.  His eyes went to Cass and Hunter Sam. Apparently they were both in on the joke.  Hunter Sam was looking slightly better than he’d looked last night, but he was actually smiling.  And the archangel raised a mug of coffee in a small salute towards Crowley.  Jess Winchester, Lawyer Sam, Sam Farrar, and even Jesse, who had been up all night helping with the detoxing, seemed to be in on things as well, smiling into their own coffee.  Blake looked at Adam, who shrugged.  Well, whatever.  At least he wasn’t the only one on the outside of whatever joke they had.  Blake shook his head in dismissal and went back to his breakfast.  “Carson called,” he announced.  “Sammy, you think you’ll be up for this tomorrow?”

            “Yeah,” the hunter managed.  His voice was still raw, his face pale and his eyes sunken from the ordeal of breaking his addiction.  “Cass and Dean have been helping a lot, but honestly, I think Jesse’s spiritual healing techniques have helped the most of all.  Give me another day to recover physically.  Then I think I’ll be able to handle it.”

            Blake nodded.  “Alright, buddy.  Just don’t overdo it.”

            “I won’t let him,” Jess promised.  The hunter smiled at her.

            Crowley glanced over at Dean, seeing one of the green eyes wink at him, and returned the wink. From deep within, Crowley could feel the new soul he’d acquired screaming, still raging against what was, after all, a perfectly sound and honest deal.  Dean had been anything but gentle when the angel had ripped it from the living body, leaving an empty, mindless husk that would live for at least two years.  Ketch’s body was probably picked up by now, on its way to a hospital before it was taken to a long term care home for the rest of its natural life.  Yes, Crowley thought as he sipped his coffee, he’d made a fine catch indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun groaned and said “Here we go” when it became clear Crowley was working a deal. If there’s one thing Crowley knows, it’s that he can’t get home without the boys. Said he should have known Crowley would find a way to get the all out. Was surprised to learn that there was any sort of penalty for two of the same demon in the same universe, and realized that all of the Unicorn Gang can now stay in this universe. Of course, given Crowley’s penchant for revenge, he’ll want to get back to Mommy Dearest. Wants to know what the “pillar of the community” did that he suddenly resigned? Liked them pinning everything on Ketch, thought that was well done, especially since it was true! Says he was right that they should have double-tapped Ketch because he knew he wasn’t dead yet. Found the “Ketch” pun amusing, said he should have seen that coming. Laughed about Blake blaming Dean for the platter.


	31. On Parade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finally gets a chance to speak with Castiel. Carson has an idea to drum up support. Adam and Dean settle their differences like men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost over! Between GISH and working nights, I was having trouble getting these done, but here you go. Enjoy a bit of fluff!

31 – On Parade

            Blake wasn’t sure what it was that woke him. He had Adam wrapped in his arms, his husband’s steady breathing indicating he was still asleep.  Then he glanced towards the door and saw the tail of a familiar trench coat.  Cass. Apparently, the archangel had stepped away from Hunter Sam long enough to look in on everyone.

            Blake gently disentangled himself from Adam, pulling the covers up to his husband’s chin and giving him a kiss on his temple. Adam hummed once, shifted, and went back to sleep.  Blake got up, threw something on quickly, and headed out.

            Cass had apparently realized he was awake.  He was standing at the top of the stairs, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to wake you.”

            “It’s fine, buddy.”  Blake stretched, yawned, and came closer.  “Actually, I was kind of hoping to talk to you.”

            “Of course.”  The blue eyes were downcast as Cass headed down the stairs into the living room.  He waited for Blake to sit down before taking a seat himself, choosing to perch on the arm of the sofa closest to Blake’s chair with his hands folded in his lap and his eyes fixed on them.  “I’m listening, Blake.”

            His posture and attitude were odd.  Blake frowned, confused for a moment.  And then he understood.  “Cass, I’m not going to yell at you!”

            The archangel blinked.  “You’re not?”

            “No!  Why would I?”

            Cass started counting on his fingers.  “I inadvertently sent you to my world, where a deal I made in haste nearly resulted in your death.  I tried to contact other hunters, not even considering how valuable they might consider me, and in doing so I put your husband and his friends in danger.  I ended up getting him arrested and thrown in jail, where he was beaten and nearly raped while I was held in Heaven.  I put my Grace into Adam so I could hide, and it nearly destroyed him.  I stayed too long in one place and let Ketch capture me. Then I let myself be tricked into revealing information that put you all into a situation where your husband, all of my friends and two of yours could be captured!  Because of me, two of your friends were shot and killed, Sam Farrar is a medical anomaly, my version of Sam Winchester got back on demon blood, a Prince of Heaven died, Adam would be an angel if Dean hadn’t stepped in, and now Dean is one!  You’ve all caught the notice of Heaven, Hell, and hunters alike, and that is never something to take lightly.  Blake, you have every right to yell at me!”  He spread his hands.  “I accept whatever you have to say.”

            Blake sighed.  He got up, moved to the sofa and sat on it next to the arm where Cass was sitting.  Then he dragged the surprised archangel down into his lap, where he wrapped his arms around Cass in a bear hug.  Cass was about Adam’s size, making the action surprisingly familiar.  Blake could feel him stiffen, feel the hidden reserves of angel strength.  But Cass kept it in check.  His blue eyes were wide, flickering anxiously about as he leaned away from Blake.  He was obviously uncomfortable.  But he didn’t struggle.  Good.  Blake smiled. “Do I have your attention now?”

            He leaned a bit further away.  “Um, please let go of me?”

            “No.  I got you now, and you’re not leaving.”  Blake was pushing it, he knew.  Cassiel would have likely leaned back into him by now, relaxed and happy for this much contact.  Castiel was different.  His experiences had made him colder, harder, still childlike in many ways but closer to a wounded dog than the shy puppy Cassiel was.  If Blake could get him to relax, Blake was sure he’d see that sweet loving side he’d found in Cassiel that longed for positive touch nearly as much as Adam.  But Castiel wasn’t there yet.  He looked unhappy, clearly wanting loose, and had already said as much.  Castiel was immensely powerful.  He could end Blake with little more than a thought, but Blake knew he never would.  And if he didn’t get through to Cass now, Blake knew, the archangel would keep this guilt and not let go.  Blake wasn’t about to have that.  “You’re going to listen to me now, alright?”

            Cass seemed frozen.  “A-alright?”

            “Good.  I kind of figured I was going to have to talk to you, that your mind would go here. You and Dean are a pair, you know that? Both of you are always so ready to accept the blame for the whole messed-up world over events and circumstances completely beyond your control!”

            “But Blake, I...”

            Blake gave him a shake.  “Hush now, y’all do too much talking.  Time to listen.  Where was I? Yeah, assigning blame.  First off, me getting sent to your world was my own fault. You had no way to know I’d put that hex bag in my pocket, and no way to know the spell on it would do what it did to me.  And nothing about Ketch can be even remotely considered your fault.  You asked for help from the only source you knew to ask, went looking for hunters.  It’s not your fault that douchebag got obsessed with you.  And he was, Cass!  In the end, that crazy mother let loose a leviathan on his own men to try to stop us from getting to Adam, all so he could have you under his control.  Aw, now, stop it!” Blake exclaimed, feeling Cass slump in his arms.  “You and Cassiel, y’all can’t help what you are.  Ketch tried to take advantage of a terrible, impossible situation between you, tried to use any means he could to make you into his slave.  And he came way too close to getting his way!  That ain’t your fault, it ain’t your fault that he took you away, and it ain’t your fault that he tricked you, either.  We got a saying – you’re only human.  And at the time, you were!”

            “That is true.”  Cass’s gravely voice made his chest vibrate under Blake’s arm. “Without my Grace, I had no way to really see that I was speaking to a shapeshifter instead of Dean.”

            “There you go!  You made some mistakes along the way, just like we all did.  None of us is perfect, buddy.  But Cass?  What happened wasn’t your fault.  That’s all on Ketch.  And I believe in my heart that he’ll pay for it in the end!”

            “Of that, I have no doubt.”

            Blake frowned, looking at Cass and seeing the small, satisfied smile on his face.  “Y’all did something, didn’t ya?”

            “Dean and Crowley handled the situation rather well. You needn’t worry about Mr. Ketch.”

            “Huh!”

            Cass shifted.  “I do appreciate the talk, but I’m not comfortable being held like this. Please let go of me?”

            Blake let him go long enough for Cass to stand up. Then Blake rose and had him again, pulling him into a tight hug.  “You know, I dreamed about you, the way you saved Adam when that asshole shot at him at the concert?” he said into the messy hair.  “I dreamed about him screaming for you in that prison, too. You’ll never know how grateful I am for you.  Pretty much the only thing keeping me sane was knowing that my Rockstar had an angel on his shoulder.  I ain’t mad at ya, buddy.  I’m grateful, more grateful than I can ever say!”  He tightened his arms around the suddenly quiet archangel, planting a kiss on his head.  “Thank you, Castiel.”

            “You’re welcome.”  Castiel wasn’t really all that different from Cassiel after all.  Sure now that Blake wasn’t going to yell at him, Cass had relaxed.  His head rested on Blake’s shoulder and his arms were around Blake, gently but firmly returning the hug with only the faintest hint of his angel strength. Blake grinned when he felt Cass shifting, mimicking the way Blake was hugging him.  Blake gleefully kissed him again, and sure enough, the archangel turned his head and returned the kiss.  Perfect.  With any luck, he could get Cass kissing Bobby in a few days.  Blake prayed he was around with a camera for that.

            Cass was smiling when Blake let him go.  Blake further mussed his already messy hair. “Since you’re out here, I take it the news is good about Hunter Sam?”

            “He’s asleep, and his sleep is peaceful.  We took a chance, speeding him through the process, but that was his request.  Now I believe his physical symptoms are largely past.  Dean’s still holding him, of course.  He hasn’t let go of his brother except for a moment when he went out with Crowley to deal with Ketch.”  His smile softened.  “Sammy’s strong.  He’ll get through this.  Then I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he never touches another drop of demon blood!”

            “You do that, Cass.  You protect them.”

            “With my life.”

            Of course he would.  Blake sat down on the couch, indicating that the angel should sit next to him.  “Y’all are set to go when the full moon hits?”

            Cass’s smile faded.  “I’m not sure.  Crowley said there are some things he’s missing.  Once we get through this today, we’re going to have to focus on that. But we’re running out of time.” He sighed.  “At least there’s no longer a pressing need.  My brother is safe, now.  So if we must, we won’t have too much harm if we’re trapped here another lunar month.”

            “Well, if you are, that’s just fine.”  Blake reached over and squeezed his arm.  “Adam and I would be happy to put you up.”

            “Adam said as much, when you were still trapped in my world.  He very much wanted to keep me.  Of course, that was before I gave him my Grace.”  The blue eyes were solemn.  “I’m sorry, Blake.  I know he’s different now.”

            “You could say that again!  There were a couple of things I was not expecting to find! But it’s alright.  Adam’s alive, he’s with me in every sense of the word, and we’re all safe.  And now we got two angels watching over us!  How’s that working out, by the way?”

            “I don’t actually know.  Dean hasn’t left his brother’s side.  I haven’t had time to speak with him yet, find out how he really feels about what he’s become.  But I know he’s happy that he could help his brother.  And it means a lot that he doesn’t have to sleep, that he can stay awake and watch over him.”  He snorted. “And he always told me it was creepy when I did it!  But I do understand, better than anyone else.  I’m just not looking forward to when he discovers he can no longer enjoy pie.”

            Blake winced.  “Ouch.  Well, maybe that’s for the best.  Dean’s immortal now, right?  He’d eat us out of house and home if he still had the same appetite he had when he was human!”

            “He’s got a lot to learn,” Cass sighed.

            “Good thing he’s got you to teach him.”

            That earned him another smile.  “Are you sure Carson’s on board with our plan?  He and I didn’t exactly get along.”

            “Don’t worry about Carson.  Adam and I had a long talk with him, told him everything. He’ll do his part.  You just do yours.”

            “Guard your bodies.”  Cass looked so serious that Blake didn’t dare smile.  “I’m experienced with that now.  I’m certain that I’m up to the task.”

            “I’m sure you are, buddy,” Blake replied, forcing himself to stay solemn.  “I’m sure you are.”

****

            In the end, Carson outdid himself.  The host knew how to milk an event, how to draw out the excitement of a crowd until it reached a fever pitch.  Last night the news had broken while everyone traveled to Adam and Blake’s home in L.A.  Today, Carson’s face was everywhere, acting as the spokesman for Blake and Adam, telling their story of terror and dark secrets and a ruthless man who would stop at nothing, and the hero bodyguard who had risked everything to save them all. Blake couldn’t help but admire the irony.  All this time, Lawyer Sam had advised them that the best option for Adam might be to let everything fall on Castiel.  Now they were doing exactly that.

            By the time they’d finished breakfast, the whole world knew how Castiel had selflessly allowed himself to be captured, tortured and drugged to try to force him to give up what he knew.  And when everything Ketch tried had failed, the monster had turned on those Castiel cared most about.  Bobby was suddenly famous as the grizzled veteran leading the group of noble mercenaries who did all they could to try to protect Blake and the band.  And by the time the first pictures of the confiscated weapons and the labs were plastered over the airwaves, Blake had gotten used to the idea of being a damsel in distress.

            Naturally, Adam’s primary concern was what everyone was going to wear.  He and Dean had already had three loud arguments over what Hunter Sam would wear, seven over Cass, and Blake had lost track of where they were now when it came to Dean himself.  Naturally the band was involved, gleefully adding to the chaos.  The house was packed to bursting with tailors, agents, the lawyers from Sam and Jess’s respective firms, and racing, excited kids separated too long from their daddies.

            The presence of the children turned what might have eventually grown into a serious fight into an impromptu “no angel shit” one-on-one basketball challenge between Adam and Dean.  That got everyone’s attention.  The natural competitive natures of the two got most of the men in a betting mood, with outrageous wagers being made.  Meanwhile, most of the women were content to just openly enjoy the show.  Blake vacillated between the two.  He naturally bet on his super-competitive basketball nut of a rock star, talking smack with the band against Bobby, Rufus, Sam Squared and, surprisingly, Jess.  Then he sat down with Cass to watch the match.  The day had dawned humid and very warm, and both competitors had pulled off their shirts to play.  The view was excellent.  Blake very much approved, and by the looks of things, so did the ladies.  “We,” he told Cass, “are a couple of very lucky guys.”

            “Why’s that?  Ah!”  Cass seemed to glow with pride.  “My Righteous Man is beautiful, isn’t he?  They both are!”

            Indeed they were.  Two tanned bodies glistening with sweat moved as if following the steps of an intricate dance.  Their faces flushed, their muscles strained.  Both were smiling, eyes bright with the challenge.  It was an image Blake wouldn’t soon forget.  But perhaps even more than the lovely figure the two players made, what stuck with Blake was their surroundings.  All around them were happy, excited, cheering people, people who had gone through more than anyone ever should and were now content to simply enjoy their time together.  Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers and brothers.  His eyes lingered on Sam Squared as they sat, dressed identically once again, with Jess between them.  She looked almost childlike between the two towering men, but Blake had quickly learned she was the one in charge, even in their odd threesome.  Now all three had one of her children in a lap, bouncing and screaming for their Uncle Dean.  There was Bobby, with Rufus on one side and Matt and his wife on the other, all three looking considerably less surly surrounded by kids and with a beer in their hands.  Oddly enough, Crowley was with them, chatting companionably with the three even as his eyes tracked the match.  Blake wasn’t sure who he’d bet on.  Knowing Crowley, probably both.  Everywhere he looked, he saw smiling faces.  It made his heart swell with happiness.

            Adam won by the narrowest of margins. Naturally, Dean sulked about it. But when Cass told him how handsome he looked in the suit Adam had picked out, his mood improved considerably.

            It dampened again when the group was climbing into the vehicles to head to the venue.  The press had been held back by virtue of the security guards and gate, but drones had been buzzing overhead all day.  Blake supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that the pictures of Adam and Dean playing topless basketball were matters of interest, as well as the revelation of Lawyer Sam’s “secret twin.”  But it strained all the patience Blake had when he was helping the ladies into the vehicles and some of the reporters started yelling insulting questions about the relationship between Adam and Castiel.  “Now?” he called back, somehow managing to keep his smile on.  “We all went through hell, especially Castiel, and just got back, and now you want to ask stupid questions like that?”

            “What my client means to say is ‘No comment,’” Lawyer Sam snapped.  “I’ll thank you to...”

            “Come on, Cass, you can’t do that shit!”

            Blake looked towards the sound of Hunter Sam’s yell and saw Cass.  The angel had been in the process of helping secure one of the children in the car seat and had apparently overheard the question.  His answer was a gesture that Blake very much hoped none of the children saw.

            Before long, they were rolling up to their destination.  Crowley was looking around, distaste evident on his features.  “Are we really doing this?  _Walking_ half a mile to your set like a group of strutting peacocks?”

            “Yup!”

            Already the crowd was going wild.  The street leading to the Voice set was lined with people, all cheering as the group went by.  Blake was pleased to see that everyone kept to their roles.  Dean, Hunter Sam, Bobby and Rufus kept to the perimeter, staying in their role as bodyguards.  Crowley hung back with Lawyer Sam and Jess and their children, looking sly.  The band was their usual rowdy selves, smiling and waving at everyone as they passed. Blake was up front, hand in hand with Adam.  And leading the way was Castiel.  Blake was pleased to hear as many cheers for the hero bodyguard as for the rest of them. There was still a lot of work to do before his name was officially cleared, and he’d need all the support he could get.

            “You know, this might actually work,” Blake said quietly to Adam.

            “Good.  Now carry me over the threshold.”

            Blake was about to ask what Adam meant when the idiot jumped onto his back, gleefully clinging like a monkey.  Blake laughed and happily carried his husband down the red carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun didn’t understand why Cass thought Blake would yell at him, until Cass recited his laundry list. Still didn’t think Blake would yell at him. Forgot that this was really the first time that Cass and Blake had actually had a conversation! Hadn’t realized that Cass would still expect Blake to be mad about everything that had happened, and Blake never had a chance to thank him for saving Adam. Liked the betting on the basketball game, but mostly liked the little snapshot of their lives there. Made an interesting face when he saw the picture of Cass flipping the bird. Laughed about Adam riding on Blake’s back.


	32. Performance Of a Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Voice" is about to begin, and Blake plans to give their fans their money's worth. Hunter Sam has a decision to make. Lawyer Sam and Jess play power couple.

            “This?” Dean announced.  “This is awesome!  Dude, that is Rod Stewart over there!”

            “Yes, Dean, Adam and Blake are famous singers.  They’re bound to know other famous singers!  It’s just really cool that so many came out here to support them.”

            “And is that Gwen Stefani?  That’s Gwen Stefani!  Dude, how do I look?”

            “You actually look very nice Dean.”

            Dean did look nice.  As much as he’d hated and resisted the stupid purple suit Adam was determined to dress him in, he couldn’t deny that he made it look good.  Even with all the famous celebrities milling around at this fancy-ass place, he and Sammy had attracted their share of attention.  One woman in particular had taken a strong interest in Sam Squared.  Before Lawyer Sam had gone to do his part of this, she’d approached the pair twice, gushing about how fascinating it must be to be identical twins, especially tall, handsome identical twins.  She’d backed off when Jess had come to reclaim her husband and the two had gone out. But now here she came again.  Dean smirked.  “Your girlfriend’s back, Sammy!  What was her name again?”

            “Um, Kathy Clarkson?  Something like that.”  Sammy suddenly took Dean’s arm and led him away from his hopeful admirer.  “Listen, Dean, I need to talk to you.”

            Here it came.  Dean swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and forced himself to smile.  “You want to stay.”

            Sammy cringed.  His green eyes looked pained as he looked at his brother.  “Dean, Sam and Jess asked me to stay.  We’ve got a good thing here.  I can go to work with Sam as a paralegal right away and help him with his cases.  M-maybe I’ll even go back to school, finish my studies and become a lawyer too.  One of his partners is near retirement.  There’s a place for me if I want it.  A-and the kids, Deana asked me yesterday if it was alright if she called me Daddy sometimes!  Do you have any idea...?”

            “Yeah, Sammy.  I do.” He took his brother’s shoulders and waited until their eyes met.  “When you left Stanford and came with me to go looking for dad?  That was the day you gave up everything you ever wanted.  But then we came here, and it’s all right there, just waiting for you!”

            “Sam Farrar is convinced that God stepped in to help us, that there was some sort of master plan at work here,” Sammy argued.  “God saved Cassiel and Ghost Dean, and Farrar being in just the right place at the right time is what could really put paid to everything we’ve been fighting here!  D-don’t you think that’s some sort of sign?  I mean...”

            Dean raised his hand to silence him.  “I already thought about this, Sammy.  And I’m glad you brought it up, because otherwise I would have had to do it and you know I suck at the whole ‘talk it over’ thing.”

            Sammy ducked his head.  “You think I should go?”

            “No. I think you should stay.”

            “Huh?”

            “I think you should stay,” Dean repeated.  “This is what you always wanted.  Now it’s all being handed to you!  You’d be an idiot not to take it!  If you and Lawyer Sam and Jess can really make things work?  Then I want you to do it.  Stay, Sammy.”

            “But Dean, what about you?”

            “I got Cass, and the two of us are gonna have our hands full as it is looking after Bobby.  That is, if Bobby comes back.  He’s got a lot here for him, too, with Rufus and the way the hunters are here.”

            Sammy smiled.  “I think Matt’s stepping up quite a bit with that, too.”

            “Yeah, and I’m glad.  Even if Bobby stays, he’s not getting any younger.  But I’m really hoping Bobby stays.”

            Sammy stilled.  “Dean, why don’t you stay?  You could, you know, you and Cass.  You could live with us or with Blake and Adam or wherever you wanted, fly around at will to see everyone, and you’re already in the clear with the angels here.  And now that things are alright between him and Cassiel...?  Dean, stay! You said yourself that things in our world have been better than they’ve been in years.  Let it take care of itself, and for once, we can have what we want!”

            What he wanted.  Dean let himself picture it, an apple pie life, Cass at his side.  The two of them could keep working as bodyguards for Blake and Adam and the band, help Sam Squared out whenever they needed, even babysit. They could all be together.  Every day could be like it was this morning, all smiles and laughter and comradery.  He and Cass could handle almost any monster that came after them, and if the theory about the universe they were in altering them all was correct, after a while only his own black wings would be left to indicate that there was anything out of the ordinary about any of them.  _I could have a normal life, at least as normal as it could be as an angel in love with an archangel.  We could be happy here._

            Sammy had taken his arm and was smiling softly down at him.  “Think it over, alright?  Talk to Cass.  And Dean? Thanks.  For letting me go.”

            Letting Sammy go.  The reality of that hit Dean like a ton of bricks.  He abruptly drew his brother into his arms and hugged him.  “I love you, bitch!”

            “Love you too, jerk!” Sammy squeaked.  “Now let go before you break me in half!”

            Dean let him go, embarrassed.  He still didn’t quite know his own strength.  Sammy smiled, then headed over to keep a watchful eye on the band.

            Dean turned around and there was Cass.  “Do you want to stay?”

            Dean shrugged helplessly.  “I don’t know.  I guess so, maybe?  Mostly, I just want to be with you.”

            Dean was sure he’d never get used to seeing Cass out of his familiar suit, loose tie, and trench coat.  But those same beautiful blue eyes were looking at him now in amusement.  “Oh, I see.  So you’re putting the hard choice on me.”

            Dean reached forward and stroked the back of Cass’s hand with a finger. “You’re the archangel!”

            “Dean, what does that have to do with anything?”

            “I love you,” Dean told him.

            Cass smiled.  “I love you, too.  And I’ll think about it, alright?  But I need to know that you’ll be able to live with whatever decision I make.  No matter the choice, we’ll be leaving people we both care about behind.”

            “I know.”  Dean was still playing with Cass’s hand.  Now he slipped his fingers through his angel’s, taking his hand and pulling him closer for a kiss.

            Cass’s grip on his hand suddenly grew tight.  “Dean, are you alright with this?” he asked.  “With what you are now, what I am?  You know what my existence was like as an angel!”

            “Yeah, Cass, I do.  And now I can share it with you.”  Dean grinned. “Let’s head over to the studio.  Time to watch those two idiots actually work for a living!  Imagine that?”

****

            Jess Winchester was never the type of woman to back down from a challenge. She was frequently judged by her looks, and usually underestimated or looked down on by powerful men who viewed her as a pretty face better suited for decorating an arm than arguing a case. And that was precisely how she’d initially made her reputation.  Jess rarely argued cases in court.  What she did was tear down powerful executives well before the case reached that point, disarming them with brainless laughter and giddy smiles, batting her eyes and playing the part of the naive lawyer in over her pretty little head before she struck.  Then she could tear through all the self-promotion, all the ego, all the bullshit these men surrounded themselves with and strike right at the heart.  Best of all, word still hadn’t spread.  None of the wealthy businessmen she’d torn down wanted to admit it.  That’s why they nearly always settled out of court.

            Jess had no intention of taking her current case to court, either.

            “Don’t let them intimidate you,” she advised quietly as she saw Sam hesitate at the door.

            “I’m not intimidated,” Sam corrected.  “I’m reminding myself not to punch anyone.  Those bastards had to know what was going on in those labs.  They had to!  A-and they’re sitting in there stuffing their faces, trying to pretend they’re innocent while they let it all land on Ketch.  They’re almost as guilty as he is!”

            Jess reached for her husband’s hand.  “That’s why we’re here, remember?  We’re about to remind them of that!”

            Sam nodded.  He stiffened, straightened his tie, and offered her his arm.  “Shall we, then?”

            Jess accepted it graciously.  Then the two of them strolled right in.

            Around the table sat a group of half a dozen or so men in business suits. They had taken the entire banquet area of the high-end restaurant as though there was actually dozens of them. All of them appeared to have been drinking.  They looked up when the couple entered.

            Jess smiled brightly, letting Sam pull up an empty chair for her.  “Good evening, gentlemen!” she called cheerfully. “And how are you this pleasant evening?”

            “I think you’re in the wrong place, sweetheart,” one of the men called.

            “Actually, we’re not.  Those of you at this table are all majority shareholders in your various companies, and you’ve all got strong interest holdings in the Men of Letters.  My name is Jess Winchester, and this is my husband Sam. Let’s talk!”

****

            “Mr. Connelly!” Blake called.  “So nice of you to accept my invitation!”

            The redhaired overseer never flinched.  “What is it you want, Mr. Shelton?  I was informed that you’d made some threats and insisted I’d be here?”

            “Yup!”  Blake put an arm around the man like they were old friends.  “We had quite the mess at that compound where you and your people kidnapped my husband and our friends.  I’m sorry you missed it!”

            “You can’t prove anything, Shelton.”  The man’s accent was cut glass.  “Ketch will take the fall, just as you yourself appear to have orchestrated. His current physical condition aside, it is his name on everything.”

            “Current physical condition?”

            “He’s largely comatose.  He’s at the hospital for now, and we’ll arrange transport back to England to a care facility.”

            “I’d say that was nice of you if I didn’t know you were just watching your own ass and trying to keep him where he can’t talk.  But to hell with Ketch.”  Apparently, Dean and Crowley had done something fairly interesting. “Let’s talk about the Men of Letters, and what your organization can do to make up for what you’ve already done.”

            “As I said, you have no proof.”

            “Sorry, but you’re wrong.  We got us a whole shitload of proof, and our lawyers are having a conversation with the people holding your purse strings as we speak about it.  But you know, I get the distinct feeling that hitting the likes of you in the pocketbook isn’t going to do much.”  Blake indicated the other man.  “Y’all are crusaders, radicals, zealots and idealists.  And all the shit you did to us, everything your people put us all through?  It was all in the name of your crusade to protect humanity from monsters.  But see, here’s the thing.  You ever hear that old saying about how if you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back into you?  Well, y’all looked way too long, and that’s precisely how someone like Ketch came to be.”

            “What is your point, Shelton?” Connelly sounded bored.  “I’m here primarily out of curiosity.  I’m really a very busy man.”

            “Then I won’t take much more of your time.  I got a show to film anyway.  Bottom line. You need to make a few policy revisions. See, the past month has brought home a very important fact – just because something isn’t human doesn’t mean it’s a monster.  Now I got to know some of these so-called monsters, and turns out they’re decent sorts. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they’re way more ‘humane’ than some of the humans working for you.  And the reason I bring it up is because I still got a lot of friends that y’all would still qualify as monsters, either because they’re angels or because they were healed by angels or they came from another universe or they recently were vessels for angel Grace.  I need assurances that your people won’t lay a finger on ‘em, and that your organization will implement a little change of policy.  Keep doing what you’re doing, hunting monsters, but only the ones that are real threats.  Let the hunters make the call, for the most part, since they’re right there seeing what’s really going on.  And support them, but stop trying to control ‘em.”

            “Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mr. Shelton.  I will take them under advisement.”

            “Oh, you’ll do more than that.”  Blake gestured, and a smiling figure approached.  “I’d like you to meet an associate of ours.  This is Mr. Crowley.”

            “Charmed, but I’m afraid I must be going.”

            “Not so fast, mate,” Crowley called.  “Gentlemen?”

            Connelly frowned as Dean and Castiel approached.  “What is this?  Are you threatening me?”

            “Why?  You feel threatened?”  Blake tightened his arm around the overseer’s shoulders.  “Here’s what’s going to happen.  You are going to sit down with Mr. Crowley here, and you’re going to hammer out a deal containing the terms I just laid out.  And I’ll be checking it over, Crowley, to make sure it’s really what we want!”

            “Of course!”

            “So will Lawyer Sam and Jess!”

            Crowley’s smile faded slightly.

            “Once we get everything signed, we all go on our way and hopefully never interact again, except on a mutually beneficial basis to deal with any supernatural critters that actually are a threat to humanity.  And we all keep our lips sealed about what really went down in that compound.”

            Connelly laughed.  “Do your worst!  Tell your tale and everyone will think you mad.  Kill me, and nothing will change.  I’m a soldier, Mr. Shelton.  The loss of a single soldier is never worth the war!”

            “We ain’t gonna hurt you.  And we ain’t gonna be telling anyone anything either.  We got a way easier way to make our point.”  Blake started moving, heading back towards the doorway and the crowd outside with his arm still firmly around Connelly’s shoulders.  “You see Mr. Connelly, right out there is one hell of a lot of people, TV cameras, cell phone cameras, even street cameras! Lots of people turned out for this show. And you know what Mr. Winchester and Mr. Novak are.  So what do you suppose will happen if they go out there, right in front of God and all of them, and give them a show they didn’t expect?”

            “Cass and I have one hell of a party trick!” Dean called.  His eyes were already glowing.

            Connelly froze.  “You wouldn’t dare!”

            “Try me?” Cass offered.  His eyes were also softly glowing as he smiled.

            “You see, we realized that your biggest goal isn’t just to kill monsters, it’s to keep humanity from knowing they exist in the first place,” Blake explained.  “So it seems to me that if the world suddenly gets clear evidence that angels actually exist...?”

            “You fool!” Connelly hissed.  “Don’t you realize the implications of such an act?!  Angels are an integral part of multiple world religions!  This could cause an unprecedented disruption on a global scale!  You could end up starting wars, riots...”

            “Ooo, how exciting!” Crowley exclaimed.  “And what if we added to that?”

            Connelly flinched, seeing Crowley’s eyes go red.  Then he stiffened.  “Alright. You win.  Demon, I am open to negotiations.”

            Blake slapped him on the back.  “I knew you’d see things my way!  Crowley? He’s all yours!”

****

            “You’ve been funneling company funds through dummy corporations into Men of Letters operations for years, decades!” Jess announced.  “And you’ve all benefited from their illegal, unethical research as well.  It’s all there, gentlemen, on the papers we’ve just handed you.  This information is being held securely by my firm, and we are poised and ready to file suit.  There’s enough here to make sure you not only lose your jobs and have your assets seized, but spend the rest of your lives behind bars.  And I will personally see to it that it’s not the country club variety of prison you end up!”

            “I believe Adam Levine had a lot to say about the prison he was in?” Sam mused, looking thoughtful.  “Since we now have a trail directly linking the people at this table to multiple large money transfers to people involved in the so-called riot there?  I imagine it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see you incarcerated in that same prison.  I’m sure the friends of the prisoners and guards killed would be delighted to see you!”

            This, for Jess, was what it was all about.  Corporate law didn’t have much in the way of rewards, but when they came, it was worth it.  To see smug, arrogant businessmen who’d thought they were above the law brought low, pale-faced and sweating, forced to face up to what they’d done?  That was worth all the hard work she’d put in through law school, all the sexism and crude remarks she’d faced as she worked her way up, all the long hours that had put a strain on her marriage and her family. And to have Sam at her side at this moment was the greatest reward of all.  She found herself incapable of letting go of his hand, and to her delight, Sam was holding on just as tight.

            “I, for one, am willing to negotiate?”

            There it went.  The first crack in the dam of their unified silence.  And now they were all talking over each other, accusing each other of this or that while trying desperately to vindicate themselves.  Perfect.  “Gentlemen!” she called over the noise.  “My husband has a proposition for you.”

            “Full restitution to the survivors of any identified victims of your labs,” Sam began.  “The labs shut down for good, and open again only under controlled conditions, and only for the purpose of finding cures for humans altered by supernatural beings.”

            “I assume this means full restitution for yourself as well, Mr. Winchester?”

            Jess hadn’t actually thought of that.  Suddenly saving for college wasn’t so worrisome.  “Of course!” Sam said, squeezing her hand.  He’d obviously thought of the same thing.  “The Men of Letters need some oversight as well, with a dedicated American branch to oversee the work of hunters here.  My recommendation to lead it is Rufus Turner, an agent of the FBI.  The organization does some good work, but it needs better protocols and standards.  I believe Mr. Turner is capable of providing that.  But before anything else, there is one thing that is non-negotiable.  I’m aware that charges are still pending, especially against Castiel Novak?  They will disappear.  My clients will not be charged with anything.  No civil suits will be brought against them.  We are well aware that the Men of Letters influence spreads through all levels of law enforcement and the justice system.  You’re going to use that.  They will all have clean records, clean slates.”

            “Is that all?”

            “One more thing,” Jess said, surprising Sam.  “There are a group of four men that we’ll be needing legal documents for.  We’ll be expecting those before the next full moon.  I’ll send you the information when I leave here today.”

            She felt Sam stiffen, saw his eyes widen slightly as he realized the implications of what she was asking.  Then his lawyer face was back on.

            There as a bit of shuffling around the table.  “What you’re asking is...”

            “...Is well within the ability of you gentlemen and your associates,” Jess said smoothly.  “Or would you prefer I send the documents implicating you to Mr. Roman?  Does he know Sucrocorp has been subsidizing Men of Letters activities?”

            “You’ve made your point, Mrs. Winchester.”  The fat man’s eyes moved to Sam, and a smile twisted his lips.  “I have to tell you, Winchester, you’ve got quite the catch there!”

            “Oh, I know!” Sam laughed.  He held up her hand, displaying her ring.  “That’s why I gave her one of these!”

            Five minutes later, Jess was pulling her husband into a bathroom, locking the door. Sam didn’t need to be told twice. His hands were pushing up her skirt and tugging down her panties in moments.  “I love you,” he called.

            “I love you, too!”  Yes, she thought, this was worth everything.  She was in love with her husband and her job, in love with her life. Sam was already pushing inside, finding her ready and waiting for him.  This, this was heaven.  And if she could keep her husband’s family back together, keep Sammy and Dean here with them as well?  That could only make it better.

****

            Adam still had his angel sight, and he noticed the man right away.  From his chair, waiting between performances with his back to the stage, Adam couldn’t raise too much of an alarm.  But he immediately called out to Dean and Castiel in his mind. The two angels were moving in an instant to confront the man as he walked towards Blake.  Adam was up as well, moving to Blake’s side and casually climbing into his husband’s lap.  “Demon,” he whispered.  “And I think it’s powerful!”

            Blake’s arm immediately went around him, his blue eyes narrowing as they moved to the man and his free hand moving towards where Adam knew Blake kept an angel blade.  Adam’s hand was already hovering over his own.  They all had them now, a gift from Cassiel.  “Can I help you?” Blake asked, polite.

            “Agent Jackson?”  Rufus was there with Bobby, looking in astonishment at the man.

            “No.”  Crowley had come over as well, although he appeared to be somehow trying to hide behind Castiel.  “That’s Azazel!”

            The King of Hell from this universe eyed the King of Hell from Unicornland. Apparently unimpressed, he turned his attention to Castiel.  “I mean no harm to you or yours, Your Highness,” he said politely.  “I just knew that if I sent a messenger to request an audience, I would likely end up short a demon.  So I borrowed someone with enough authority to get past the humans and came myself.  I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion.”

            “That depends entirely on what you have to say.”  The archangel was on full alert.

            Adam saw Dean moving quietly around to Azazel’s rear, one arm pushing Hunter Sam slightly back.  Azazel turned and looked at Sammy with interest.  “Well! Look at you!  No, lower your weapon, angel, I mean no harm to any of you,” he called, seeing Dean go for his angel blade.  “I’m simply admiring my own handiwork.  Breathtaking, and I was made aware of what you are capable of, Sam Winchester.”  The yellow-eyed demon inclined his head to Sam.  “You have my respect and admiration.”

            “Leave him alone,” Castiel snapped.  “Your business is with me.”

            “Yes, it is.”  Azazel once again addressed the archangel.  “You and your counterpart were involved in a deal I made with one Arthur Ketch.  I’m here to mend things between the three of us. I want no part of a war with Heaven. I’ve already lost enough back at that compound, thanks to Ketch.”

            “I have no desire to pursue things further, but I can’t speak for the hosts of Heaven,” Castiel said.  “I’m still a stranger here.”

            “Perhaps not for much longer.”  The demon’s eyes seemed to inspect Castiel, moved to Dean, and then went to Adam. Adam stiffened, feeling as though those eyes were peering right through him.  Blake tightened his arm around him.

            “I’ll speak with my brother,” Castiel said.  “Is that all?”

            “There is one more matter.  Ketch. I was able to find his body, but his soul seems to be missing.”

            “I took it out,” Dean volunteered.

            “And I claimed it,” Crowley called, stepping out slightly from behind Castiel. He seemed suddenly more confident. “Part of a deal I made with him.”

            “You?”  Azazel’s eyebrows shot up.  “You, a lone crossroads demon from another universe, have caused me nearly as much trouble as Ketch!  I know you’re responsible for the loss of at least half a dozen of my demons.  You’ve stolen from my armories, you’ve usurped soul deals, and worst of all, you’ve helped angels and archangels!  You’ve ingratiated yourself to humans and the hosts of Heaven, and even tried to step into your counterpart’s position and claim the title of King of the Crossroads!  Every demon in Hell, from the lowest imp to my fellow Princes, is buzzing about you!  The insolence!  The nerve!” He grinned.  “A demon such as yourself could go far in my organization. Should you decide to stay, come and talk to me.”

            Crowley’s eyes gleamed.

            Meanwhile, Azazel was inclining his head respectfully towards Castiel.  “I’ll take my leave now.  Your Highness?  Good evening.”

            Castiel nodded.  “Come on, Dean, let’s walk His Majesty out.”

            “No problem.”

            Adam breathed much easier when the yellow eyed demon was out of sight.  But Blake was sitting, stiff and still, not saying a word.  He looked back.  “What’s wrong?”

            “What he said...”  Blake looked at Adam.  “Did Dean really rip Ketch’s soul out and give it to Crowley?  Can he do that?”

            “I guess so.  Castiel did it to the prisoners that attacked me, back at the prison.  He ripped out their souls and threw them to Hell, practically knocked the building down doing it.  So yeah, if Dean’s got the same powers he had as an angel, then I guess he could.”

            “Oh.”  Blake had an odd expression on his face.  “I have no idea how I feel about that.  And now Crowley somehow managed to get on the good side of Azazel, so no one is out to get him.  So that means he can stay, too?”

            Adam hadn’t thought of that.  “Um, yeah. I guess it does.”

            “Well, shit!”  Blake looked like he was sulking now.  “That’s all we need, more of Crowley.  How long do you suppose it would be before he makes a play for the throne of Hell?”

            “Well, they do say the devil you know, right?”

            Blake only grumbled and held him tight.

            Meanwhile, Carson had wandered over, looking concerned.  “Gentlemen, things looked a bit tense there a moment ago,” he said.  “Everything alright?”

“Everything’s great, Carson!” Adam announced.  And it was.  For the first time in too long, it really was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun now says Sammy and Dean should stay. Their world needs them, but they need this world. Enjoyed Jess raking the executives over the coals. Laughed and asked if he’d met Dean Winchester when Connelly said that he wouldn’t dare. Groaned and said Azazel may as well hand Crowley the throne.
> 
> Trivia Time!
> 
> Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles (Sam and Dean) in the picture I used here were presenting an award. The winner of that award? Maroon 5!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiYD88TbVa4


	33. Why me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full moon arrives, bringing with it some difficult decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! I still cannot believe it's finished! Thank you so much to everyone who has stayed with me through this journey. Luv you so much! At long last, the happy ending I promised you so many months ago. Enjoy!

            “Come on, guys!”

            “This is some seriously sad shit here!”

            “Come on, Dean, stop being so macho!”

            “Look, I told you idiots, I do not cry at movies!”

            “I don’t understand why we would cry.  These stories are fictional.”

            “Castiel, just imagine that happened in real life.  Wouldn’t you be sad?”

            “This is not going to work.  I don’t cry at movies, ok?”

            “Dean, you’ve been gone for a month.  Try to imagine someone stole your Impala?”

            “Well, now he’s angry.”

            “Stop pissing him off!  Where’s Hunter Sam?  He’s his brother, he’s got to know something that can make him cry!”

            “Why are we trying to make Dean cry?” Blake asked, coming into the living room.

            Dean and Cass were seated in front of the TV, surrounded by the band with movies scattered all over the floor.  The band looked exhausted.  “We’ve been up all night trying to get one of these two idiots to cry,” Mickey explained. “We need angel tears for Crowley’s spell.”

            “But Dean’s too manly to cry at movies,” James complained, “and Castiel just talks about the acting!”

            Matt looked disgusted.  “I’m about ready to start smacking them both in the nuts with a ball bat until one of them starts crying.”

            Blake raised a hand for patience.  “Why does Crowley need angel tears?”

            “The hex bag, Sexy.”  Crowley was seated at a table, surrounded by odd bits.  He indicated them with a hand.  “Here I have all the herbs and items for the actual spell.  I’ve even got this.”

            “That from Adam?” Blake asked, looking at the tiny vial of light.

            “Originally, I’d intended to use some of his excess, back when he had too much to go around.  But of course, now we have our Cassie over there with the high test, so frankly we’re set enough for two trips!”  Crowley waved a pencil in the direction of the stairs, where Sam Squared was coming down with Jess.  “Double Moose there can serve as our two matching souls from different universes, although based on the frankly energetic exercise they were getting with the lovely Mrs. Winchester, before too long they’ll both be native to this one. But of course now we have Squirrel and Ghost of Squirrel, or the Cassie twins we could have used, so we’re well set even there!  We needed a pair of physical objects in both universes, one set from the universe it was in, and one in the wrong place, both in close proximity.  Dean’s precious Baby and Honey outside there served, providing we put that guitar Singer gave you into the trunk here.”

            “What about an item from my universe in yours?”

            “Your cowboy hat.”  Dean gave him a small shy smile.  “I, um, maybe intentionally didn’t remind you to take it out of the trunk.  Sorry, buddy.”

            Blake laughed.  “That’s ok, Dean, I would have given it to you anyway!  So we got all of that.  Where do the angel tears come in?”

            “The covering for the hex bag itself.”  Crowley held up a familiar piece of disintegrating material.  “A hex bag capable of containing a spell this powerful needs to have a physical covering that’s equally powerful.  The original bag was fashioned from a piece of cloth soaked with angel’s tears.  In my own universe, I had any number of odds and ends, and could have quite easily substituted almost anything for everything in this bag but the angel Grace.  Here, though, we’re rather limited to the same material.  But oddly enough, the local shops don’t seem to carry those. So we seem to have hit a snag.”

            The Sam on Jess’s left began to laugh.  “No we haven’t!  Castiel, where’s your coat?  The leather jacket?”

            Cass frowned in confusion.  “I wasn’t wearing it when Ketch took me.  I imagine it’s still at the old hospital where I was staying?”

            “Can you go get it please?”

            Cass shrugged and vanished.

            Adam, who had apparently finally decided to get up, came into the living room, yawning and sleepily rubbing his eyes.  “What’s going on?”

            “They need a cloth saturated with angel’s tears to finish that hex bag.” It must have been Lawyer Sam.  “Do you remember, Adam?  Back when you and I first met?”

            Adam straightened.  “Where’s... Ah!  And he’s got the coat!”

            Cass had appeared, holding his leather jacket.  Adam immediately snatched it out of his hands and began digging through his pockets.  “When we first met Lawyer Sam, we found out that this world’s version of Dean was dead,” Adam explained, still searching.  “And Castiel didn’t take it well.  He actually...  Here! Will this do?”

            Blake watched, curious, as Crowley accepted what looked like a crumpled white t-shirt from Adam.  He stepped closer, watching over the demon’s shoulder as Crowley unfolded it.  The words “I believe in angels!” were on the shirt in black ink, along with a set of black wings on the back.  But his attention was on a section of the shirt near the shoulder.

            The light glistened faintly from the salty residue of an angel’s tears.

****

            Dean was nearly overwhelmed.  Cass was all around him, an impossibly large being of pure light that seemed to wrap around him like a cocoon.  He’d already seen what his lover really was, crouched inside of his vessel through his new angel sight.  But the true reality of Castiel was nearly overwhelming.

            “I’ve got you, Dean.  I’ve got you.”

            Dean’s own hybrid form seemed so small.  The archangel was able to wrap completely around him, and the love, the sheer joy of this was echoing through Cass’s Grace, making Dean’s own Grace seem to sing in response.  It was different than sex, but just as amazing in its own right.  “Cass!”

            “I love you.”

            “I love you, too!”

****

            Outside, the storm raged, thunder and wind shaking the house.  Blake swore.  “What is it with weathermen?” he grumbled.  “Not one word of this mess coming!  I hope to hell it doesn’t rain tomorrow night when the full moon hits!”

            Adam cleared his throat.  “Um, Blake? That’s not outside.”

            “Then what the hell...?”

            Blake’s answer was a loud pounding from across the hall.  _“Dean! Cass!  Knock it off!  You two idjits are gonna shake the building off its foundation!_   Balls, can’t a body get any sleep in this universe?!” Still grumbling in the now-silent house, Bobby stomped back to his bed.

            Blake looked at Adam, saw his husband waggle his eyebrows suggestively at him, and burst out laughing.  “I should have known,” Blake laughed, shaking his head.  Then his ears pricked, hearing the all too human sound of mattress springs squeaking, and he laughed some more.

            “Wanna take ‘em on?” Adam asked, posing on the bed.

            Blake groaned.  “Adam, I am a man in my forties!  I cannot keep up with the stamina of an angel!”

            “I bet we can give them a good run for it?”  Adam arched his back, letting his wings appear and open.  His new appendages were much smaller than they’d been, only about four feet long.  Adam couldn’t fly.  But his wings certainly made a very convenient handhold.  “Come and ride me, cowboy!”

            Oh yes.  Blake could certainly give the angels a run for it.

****

            Crowley had assured them that there was no need to return to the park, but they were headed out there after breakfast anyway.  Not much had been said at breakfast.  Everyone knew some hard goodbyes were coming, and no one had much of an appetite.  The only one who really ate much of anything was Dean.  At some point during the night, the angel had decided to make pies. Now he was seated at the table with an entire pie in front of him, happily eating.

            “I don’t understand,” Cass called, watching him.  “You’re an angel now, Dean.  That should taste like molecules to you!”

            “And it does,” Dean replied with his mouth full.  “Unless, of course, you think to tamp your sense of taste down. Didn’t you ever think of that, Cass?”

            The blue eyes went wide.  Cass got himself a fork, got some pie, and took a bite.  His eyes shone.  “This?” he declared.  “This makes me very very happy!”

            “Oh wonderful,” Crowley grumbled.  “Now we’ll have a fat archangel and an even fatter angel running about, how lovely!”

            Dean stuck out his tongue at him.

            “Well, that’s one good thing about y’all going back to Unicornland, then,” Blake sighed.  “Otherwise, Dean would eat us out of house and home!”

            Sudden silence.  One of the Sam Winchesters, Blake thought it was the lawyer, was suddenly holding hands tensely with Jess, looking anxiously at the other.  Hunter Sam looked up, his eyes moving to Bobby.  “I’m not going back,” he announced.  “I want to stay here, with Sam and Jess and the kids.”

            “I figured as much,” Bobby replied gruffly.  “And I’m glad to hear it.  Honestly, I was trying to think of a way to approach that subject without making you think I was trying to tell you what to do.  Boy, you’ve given up enough for our universe.  If this universe can finally hand you a bit of happiness?  Then you take it!”

            Hunter Sam smiled.  Jess reached for his hand and he quickly took it, bringing it to his lips.  Then he found himself glomped by a delighted Sam Farrar.  “Sam’s Club, back in action!” the musician crowed.

            Hunter Sam laughed and mussed Farrar’s hair.  “You know it!”

            “What about you, Bobby?” Matt asked anxiously.  “I’m going to help Rufus try to clean up the mess with the Men of Letters, but we’re both in over our heads!  We could really use your help!”

            “I know you could,” Bobby began, squeezing the drummer’s shoulder.  “And God knows the band could use some looking after!  But your universe has the two of you, and Blake and Adam here, and now Sammy!  My world’s left alone, and Ketch is still very much alive.  If that bastard gets wind of an opportunity, he’ll jump on it.  And without me there to kick his ass back across the ocean again, well, I can’t take the chance my world ends up the way yours did.”  Bobby smiled, seeing the fallen faces.  “Sorry, boys.  But consider this for a moment.  A little birdie told me that, since we’re using archangel Grace, we’ve actually got enough juice for two trips.  Seems to me that a certain red-eyed bastard here at this table has every intention of making a return trip at some point!”

            “I need to deal with that ginger tart, possibly permanently,” Crowley growled.  “And of course I’ve a kingdom to run.  But there are opportunities here under Azazel.  Once the spell has been cast the first time, the hex bag will be attuned to both universes.  Then it’s a simple matter of casting it again on the next full moon.”

            “Watch yourself,” Blake warned.  “We’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

            “Of that I have no doubt.  However, I fail to see what my future plans have to do with our dear Mr. Singer?”

            “Well, it’s obvious you’re planning on a return trip,” Bobby explained.  “So who’s to say this old goat doesn’t go back, set up someone to take over for him, and then comes back here to retire?”

            Instantly, the mood brightened.  Bobby disappeared, buried under a mob as Maroon 5 rushed to hug him.  The old veteran grumbled, wiping at his nose.

            Rufus was shaking his head.  “Who are you going to set up over in Unicornland?”

            “I was thinking about a certain werewolf.”

            “Garth!”  Dean laughed. “A hunter turned werewolf leading the American hunters?  Ketch would love that!  It’s perfect.”

            Blake smiled, but his heart was pounding.  He casually reached for Adam’s hand.  “And what about you, Dean?”

            Dean immediately looked at Cass.  “Sammy’s set up just fine here.  Bobby’s got his plans.  So as far as I’m concerned, the decision is up to Cass.”

            “Castiel?” Adam called hopefully.  “I really want you to stay!”

            “I know.”  Castiel was looking at his fork as though it contained answers.  He sat it down and took a deep breath.  “My wings are white now, marking my power as coming from your universe.  I haven’t fit in with my brothers in Heaven for a long time.  Now it’s even more obvious.  Dean’s wings mean his power comes from our own universe, but it’s obvious to any angel that he’s different.  He and I have already been targets for the hosts of Heaven.  Now they’ll be even more interested.”

            “Don’t you make this choice because you’re worried about me,” Dean murmured. “I can deal with whatever those flying dicks send my way.”

            “I know.”  Cass squeezed his hand.  “And I will be at your side until the end of time.  But this is my thought process.  I can’t make this decision be about you, Dean.  It has to be about me.”

            “And what do you think, Cass?” Blake asked.  Adam’s hand was squeezing tightly to Bake’s own.

            “I don’t belong here,” Cass said simply.  “This universe already has its Angel of Serenity.  It has a lot of archangels.  But mine has none, and that is largely my fault.  Heaven needs an archangel, especially one with an angel at his side who understands what it means to be human.  I need to go home.”

            Silence.  Blake could feel Adam trembling, fighting back his emotions.  Blake felt the same.  He’d gotten up this morning knowing that it might be the last day he ever saw the Unicorn Gang, but now the idea of never seeing them?  Blake fought back the urge to run to Dean, grab the angel, and yell at him to change his mind, convince Cass to stay.  He stayed as he was.  It was their decision.  And Blake had no right to take it from them.  To try to get them to stay by manipulating their emotions would make him no better than Ketch.  Besides, who could blame Cass for wanting to go?  He’d been trapped here for two months, kidnapped, tortured, and separated from his lover for entirely too long.  It was past time he was finally allowed to go home.

            There was a squeak and a crash, and Hunter Sam was out of his chair, letting it fall behind him as he ran to embrace his brother.  “Dean...!”

            “I know, brother,” Dean called.  “But hey, Cass is here with me, right?  We got us a renewable supply of archangel Grace!  No reason we can’t visit each other, right?”

            “You better visit me, you jerk!”

            “Door goes both ways, bitch!”

            Sammy nodded.  And that was the last thing Blake saw clearly for a while.

            Who says a cowboy can’t cry?

****

            “Back here again,” Blake sighed.  “You know, last time I was here, I never imagined I’d be back again, doing the same blasted thing!”

            Adam didn’t answer.  His eyes were locked on Castiel, watching as the archangel said his goodbyes to the band. Jesse was a complete wreck and so was Mickey.  Blake was surprised at how well PJ was holding together, knowing how close he was to Cass.  But while PJ looked upset, he was probably the most stoic of the band.  Meanwhile Matt looked like he’d lost his best friend. He and Rufus hovered near Bobby, who hovered back, all three trying hard to look like they weren’t hovering.  It wouldn’t have been hilarious if Blake could keep his eyes off of Dean for more than five minutes.

            Dean’s attention, naturally, was primarily on Sam Squared.  Apparently, Cassiel and Ghost Dean had come along to wish their counterparts well and had taken up residence in Lawyer Sam.  They were talking quietly with Castiel while Dean waited impatiently for his brother and Sam Farrar to finish with the glyphs. Fine.  Fuck it.  Blake went over, grabbed Dean, and pulled the startled angel into a hug.  “It’s so dangerous in your world,” he whispered.  “Y’all gotta be careful, get back over here!”

            “Blake, your world is just as dangerous!” Dean whispered back, hugging Blake fiercely.  “You just didn’t know before.  Now you do. What Adam is now, he’s gonna draw attention to himself.  Sammy can help, and I know Rufus will keep an eye on you guys, but Blake, you’re going to have to protect him!”

            “You know I will.”  Blake forced himself to let Dean go.  “Y’all come back now, ya hear?”

            Dean burst out laughing.  “You said it! You actually said it!”

            “Whatever.”

            “You know, you could come visit us, too?” Dean offered.  “Bring Adam and the band?  We can show you how the real universe runs!”

            Blake chuckled.  “I may just do that.  Well, there he goes,” he announced, seeing his husband pounce on Castiel.  “That was a matter of time.  Those two got really close these past couple of months.”

            “They’re not alone.”

            Blake smiled down into the green eyes that looked solemnly up at him.  “Love you, Dean-o.”

            “Love you, too.”  Dean cleared his throat.  “Get off of me, would you?  I don’t do chick flick moments.  They suck!”

            Blake responded with a big sloppy kiss.  Dean swore and pushed him away.  Then he was back to his brothers.

            In the end, the whole affair wasn’t nearly as exciting as Blake remembered. Cass calmly confiscated the hex bag, announcing it would be safer in his care.  Crowley clearly wasn’t happy, but wasn’t exactly in any position to argue. The four men stood in the circle of glyphs.  Cass held the hex bag in his hands, and the other three laid their hands over it. Then Cass chanted something magic-y, there was a flash, and the four were gone.

            They were just gone.

            A keening wail rose from Blake’s left.  Jess Winchester, clinging to Sam Squared and sobbing her heart out.  Sam Squared was looking at each other over her shoulders, their eyes already filling with tears.  Adam was sobbing as he clung to Blake.  Half the band had already broken down.  And now Blake found himself sniffing.

            Dean was right, Blake decided.  Chick flick moments sucked.

****

            Crowley, naturally, took off almost as soon as they were back in their own universe, muttering about ginger tarts and making arrangements for old friends. For some reason, he was drumming his fingers over his own chest.  Whatever. It was obvious that Rowena was in for a huge surprise.  Bobby didn’t care.  He didn’t like to think so poorly about ladies, but that particular lady had lost her right to the title.

            Then he forgot everything else when Dean started yelling.

            “Son of a bitch!” the angel roared, racing towards the Impala.  “They booted her!  Those bastards booted my Baby!”

            Bobby tried not to smile.  What did Dean expect?  The Impala had been parked there for a lunar month, collecting unpaid parking tickets. Of course she’d get booted.

            Then he saw the boot on his own pick-up and suddenly it wasn’t so humorous.

            Having angels around came in handy.  The boots were off in moments and they were on their way.  Bobby wasn’t sure how they were going to explain that. He’d figure something out, and find a way to fork over the cash for their parking tickets.

            Angels were also useful for travel.  All three men and both vehicles were soon standing outside of Singer’s Salvage Yard.  Bobby was more than ready to go inside and start cleaning up a month’s worth of dust. But the angels froze.  Silver and golden blades gleamed in their hands.  “Oh, balls,” he groaned, drawing his pistol.  “This is just what I need.”

            Cass went in first, storming into the house with his blade ready.  Bobby followed close behind with Dean covering their rear.  The figure inside looked surprised, but didn’t startle.  Still, he was the last person Bobby had hoped to see.  “Ketch!” he spat.  “What the hell are you doing in my house?”

            “It appears that rumors of your demise were perhaps premature, Mr. Singer,” Ketch announced, not at all concerned.  “Winchester, angel.  Charmed.”

            Bobby was in no mood for this.  He marched forward, his weapon leveled at Ketch’s head.  “I’m gone for a month and you’re already going through my shit? You’re way too ambitious, Ketch! That’s precisely what got you into all that trouble!”

            Ketch looked confused.  “Trouble? Whatever do you mean?”

            Right.  Bobby sighed, put his pistol away, and waved for the two angels to do the same.  Then he pulled up a chair and sat down, grimacing. “Ketch?” he began.  “Sit down.  It’s story time.  Let me tell you about a certain arrogant prick of an Englishman, and what happened when he tried too hard to get too much power.”

****

            It was good to be back in Baby again.  The familiar engine purred smoothly along, responding instantly when Dean goosed the pedal.  Honey just couldn’t compare to the familiarity.  Dean knew every nick, every scratch, every sound.  For him, the Impala meant home even more so than his room at the bunker, where he and Cass were heading now to start planning how they were going to approach the angels.  Not having Sammy with him was going to take some real getting used to, though.  It was alright.  Sammy was happy, and that was all that really mattered.  He’d see his brother again soon enough.

            “You do realize that there’s no longer any need to drive everywhere?” Cass’s gravely voice brought Dean out of his thoughts.  “We’ve both got our wings.”

            “Yeah, but there’s nothing quite like the open road,” Dean insisted.  “The scenery, the sound of the engine, the music. Music!”  Driving with one hand, Dean dug into the pocket of his jacket and produced a tape.  “Blake gave me this before we left.”

            “Ah.”  Cass took it and looked at the label.  “‘Texoma Shore.’  This is his album?”

            “Yup!”  Dean’s smile grew wistful.  “You know, I already miss that damned cowboy.”

            “That’s insulting to our kind, Dean.”

            “Only in Bizarroverse!  It’s not an insult to angel kind here!”

            “I don’t see how it’s not,” Cass argued.  “An insult is an insult, no matter which universe it’s spoken in.”

            “It never insulted you before!”

            “I hadn’t realized it was insulting before!  Now I know, and I’m insulted.”

            “Alright, I’m sorry,” Dean sighed.  “Anyway, I miss Blake.  Next full moon, that big hick and anyone else we can convince to come along is visiting over here.”

            Cass nodded, looking pleased.  “I asked Sam Squared and Farrar to do a bit of research for me back in their universe on angel hybrids, and I’ve asked Bobby to do the same.  I’ll be doing what I can in the bunker, of course.  I’d like some solid information for Blake and Adam.”

            “And for me?”

            Cass smiled at him.  “You know that.”

            Dean took back the tape and pushed it into the cassette player.  He turned up the volume and then began to lip sync at Cass as Blake’s honeyed voice filled the interior of the car.

            _“I'm a rebel.  I've been known to dance with the devil.  So how'd I get up on your level?  You're an angel sent from Heaven down to me! I'm rough around the edges.  You're a snapshot of perfection!  I was headed in the wrong direction.  I was reckless.  Now I just got one question!”_

            The smile spread across Cass’s face as Dean hammed it up, wildly exaggerating the words and gesturing at him as the song continued.

            _“Why me?  Out of everybody baby, why me?  You coulda picked anybody, why me?  When I see you lookin' at me, I gotta ask what did I do to get to be the one you gave your heart to?  Walk up in a party on my arm, who woulda thought you would wanna wake up everyday beside me?  Baby why me?”_

            “You know, I saw you,” Cass called.  “Pretending to be singing behind the stage at Blake and Adam’s show?”

            Dean’s face burned.  “Shut up.”

            “I thought it was wonderful.”

            The blue eyes were so full of love.  Dean reached over and took his angel’s hand as they continued down the open road.

****

            Blake and Adam stayed in close contact as they left the set, Blake making kissy faces at Adam.  Very few people would mistake him for the badass hunter Adam knew he was. Even the shapeshifter they’d taken out last night had seemed surprised when Blake dropped it.  But that was Blake, and Blake was always a clown in public. Once they were in their trailer, though, the pretense fell away and the real kissing began.  Blake smiled, recognizing his own song coming from the radio he’d left on the country music station in the trailer.  “I gave Dean this album on tape!”

            “I gave Castiel mine,” Adam confessed.  “Except I gave him a CD because someday Dean is going to have to enter the 21stcentury.”

            “Not any time soon.”  Blake pulled his husband into his arms and started dancing, singing along with himself on the radio.  _“I remember night one, looking around for the right one.  Saw you sitting there, said, ‘Well, I'm done!’  And I walked over, even though you're outta my league!  You were diamonds in the sky, I was dirt on the plough.  You're All-American pretty, I'm a one-horse town. First smile you gave me, I was thinkin' it then, and I'm still thinkin' it now!”_

            Adam leaned into his chest, opening his wings almost involuntarily.  Blake smiled and reached out, tracing the fingers of one hand through the feathers just to feel how Adam shivered.  “My little cupid,” he cooed.

            “Fuck you, Shelton!  I’m not a cupid!”

            “With your tiny little wings to go with your tiny little body!”

            “I’m six feet tall!”

            “Dinky little thing, coochie coochie coo!”

            “I hate you.”

            “I love you.”

            Adam dropped the act and laughed.  “I love you so much, Blake!  And for the record, it’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it.”

            “I think I use it rather well.”

            “Prove it!”

            “Can do!”

****

            Sam Winchester climbed out of the shower, toweled off, and wrapped the towel around his waist.  Outside, he could hear Sammy and Jess shouting to each other, searching for an important brief that one of the kids had managed to somehow lose.  Typical busy morning.

            From the kitchen, music played on their radio.  Blake singing “Why Me?”  It was a sentiment Sam could get behind.  Two months ago, he couldn’t imagine his life could be so good.  Now he felt like a different man.

            Sam had just lathered up his face and picked up his razor when he noticed something.  The mirror had fogged over from the steam of his shower, but not completely.  The word “BITCH” had been written in block letters in the condensation.

            Sam chuckled.  He took his finger and wrote “JERK” beneath it.  He hadn’t heard from Dean and Cassiel in a few days, but it was nice to know they were still around.  In the scattered reflection of the letters, Sam could see a face behind him, green eyes that sparkled with mischief.  The figure leaned back, somehow seeming to be gathered up against something bright that Sam couldn’t make out.  He turned and looked behind him, and nothing was there.  His breath fogged in the cold air.

            Sam chuckled again.  He wiped off the mirror with his hand and quickly finished shaving.  He had a busy day ahead.

****

            The country singer paced, realized he was pacing again, and forced himself to stop.  He’d be here any minute.  Everything was ready, the paperwork carefully drawn up and ready for their signatures. He even had a notary waiting. Nothing would be left to chance. Not this time.

            His ears pricked up as the sound of a southern country drawl filtered through the door.  Outside, down the hall, the man would be offered a drink.  He’d take it, take a drink out of politeness because that’s the kind of man he was.  The holy water, combined with the “accidental” prick of a silver pin from his assistant, would be the final precautions.  Then everything would be up to him.

            He thought he was ready.  But when the door finally opened and the man ambled in, he still had to remind himself to breathe.  Those blue, blue eyes in that smiling face simply took his breath away.  “Howdy,” the man called.  “I’m Blake Shelton.  Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Levine.”

            Adam swallowed hard.  Pull it together, Levine.  He came over, shook Shelton’s hand.  “Welcome, Mr. Shelton!  Please, come in, sit down.”

            “Thanks.  And please, call me Blake.”  Shelton – Blake - sat.  His smile remained in place, although the man was obviously curious.  “I gotta say, I was surprised when your people contacted me,” he began.  “I like to think I do a good job providing security, but I’m not exactly high profile. How’d you even get my name?”

            “Let’s just say we have a mutual acquaintance.”  Adam hated to start things off with a lie.  Someday soon, he’d sit down with Blake and tell him everything.  But first he had to get to know this man.  Already, his heart was pounding.  He’d seen Blake’s pictures, known immediately that this beautiful man and the mysterious stranger he’d never been able to stop thinking about were one and the same, different versions of the same man.  And already, he felt the connection between them.

            Blake seemed to feel something as well.  He tilted his head, looking at Adam.  “You want me to protect you?”

            “I do.”  More than you can possibly know.

            “Alright.  I can do that.”  Those dimples.  They were prominent now as Blake gave him a wide smile.  “I gotta admit, I was a bit unsure at first.  You got a reputation, Mr. Levine.  But now I met you?”  The blue eyes flickered.  Had Blake just checked him out?  He had! The dimples grew even deeper. Blake liked what he saw.  “I think you and I might just hit it off.”

            Adam squeezed his hands tightly together.  He couldn’t believe what Blake had just done.  The man had shown no sign at all of any inclination towards men. But the unmistakable way he’d just checked Adam out said something else entirely.  Adam envied him, how easily Blake could just be himself, and who cared what anyone else thought?  _Yes,_ Adam thought.  _I think we really just might hit it off!_

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought it was nice that everyone got a happy ending. Laughed about the cars being booted. Laughed really hard about the conversation over Adam’s wings. Is upset that Dean and Cass went back, but understands Cass’s reasons.
> 
> On behalf of myself, Mr. Fun, and my own loveable versions of Blake Shelton and Adam Levine that exist in my demented mind, thank you, God bless, and goodnight!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7uKp8IRSQw&frags=pl%2Cwn


End file.
